Fate's Fun
by Traban16
Summary: The Fates are having their wicked fun tonight as they weave a wicked weave indeed. When the "Minor Gods" convince one of the "Big Three" to help in a plot to stop You-Know-Who, the Fates sat back and watched the show. Especially when one of them is the ever brooding Rich One, father to the Chosen One. Though to which of his allegiances is he truly "Chosen"?
1. Gazing up at the Son

**New Story! Again! Yay!**

**That's right; a brand spankin' new story for you guys and gals to enjoy, **_**free of charge**_**!**

**Okay, seriously though. This story is an idea I've been tossing around for a while now. It was something I had originally planned to as my first Harry Potter crossover, but back then I didn't know enough about both series to write it. Now I do!**

**So, in this crossover, you'll notice something a bit different from others. The key thing being that ages shall be canon. Yeah, that's right: CANON! That means:**

**Harry Potter: July 31, 1980**

**Luke Castellan: sometime 1987**

**Thalia Grace: sometime 1989**

**Percy Jackson: August 18, 1994**

**Annabel Chase: sometime 1994**

**So yeah, Harry will have at least a good decade on most of them. Another thing that you'll all notice is that I'm not even going to bother writing the tired and drown out "Harry is a Half-blood Wizard at Hogwarts and THIS happens Yadda Yadda…" or "Half-bloods go to Hogwarts for Yadda Yadda…"**

**It's old. It's tired. It's done. It's DEAD! Normally I don't rant about these things, but really, what the hell can we change about Harry's years in Hogwarts by adding Dyslexic kids with ADHD? Harry'll still get into the same exact situations he would have in canon, because he has no control over Voldemort's half-crazed plots to kill him.**

**So instead, I will most likely gloss over Harry's time in Hogwarts. True, he will have new and old friends from canon, but other than that, I don't see much changing. Truth be told, I search very hard for stories that have Harry go to Camp Half-Blood without the whole Hogwarts business. I like the idea of Harry being a half-blood, and going to stay at Camp Half-Blood year round, or even that he goes and stays with his Godly parent every now and then.**

**Now, I know what I've done to Harry's parentage and life will actually play a part in the story. I know that once you get to the part I'm talking about, everyone will be like, "This is crap!" or something close to that. But don't worry, "they" are not the only ones who can be sneaky. Trust me, you'll know who "they" are when you've finished this chapter.**

**Sorry for the length of this A/N, but yeah… I needed to say all that. In fact, it felt good. Empowering, even.**

**I think I'm gonna go yell at a deaf person now. Not to mock them, but just to feel empowered without getting bitch-slapped… On second thought, I'd probably still get bitch-slapped just because of who I am… FML…**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Gazing up at the Son**

* * *

Hades sighed from his throne in the Underworld. Being the Lord of the Dead, Master of Death, and all around Badass of the Underworld just wasn't doing it for him today. Hell… or rather, _him_, he couldn't even brood over how his baby brother Zeus had cheated him all those years ago into ruling over the Dead and the Underworld.

"Oh wait… I can _always_ brood over that. The miserable little cheat…" Hades muttered to himself as he rose from his throne.

Hades' dark black robes seemed to turn to smoke at the floor beneath his feet, as if disgusted by even touching such a thing as the floor. His dark black, unruly hair was pushed behind his ear as he walked out of his throne room. His intense dark eyes scanned the hall leading toward the front doors. He wanted some time in… _her_ garden. It always helped cheer him up when _she_ was gone for half the year.

He sat on one of the stone benches as he admired the flowers all around. They were grown by _her_, and he loved each and every one of them. He might not have been the God of Plant-life, but he took special care of _her_ flowers while she was away for the spring and summer.

He would do anything _she_ wanted him to, and protect as well as care for anything _she_ loved…

"She is always so surprised and pleased that I do… I don't know whether it is amusing… or hurtful…" Hades said as he gentle traced the petals of one of _her_ many sunflowers. He always patted himself on the back for being able to grow sunflowers in no sun at all. It amused him greatly each and every time. He even gave a hearty chuckle at the thought.

He rose from the bench and walked around the garden more, smelling all of _her_ wondrous flowers. He picked up one of his own creations. A rose made from ruby and emerald. He always liked the two precious gems, especially together. He was born in May, so emerald was always a good color and gemstone for him, but ruby…

…that was the stone of _her_ month…

He picked the flower made of jewel, it being easy for him since he was a God after all. He gave it a sniff, always amazed at how _she_ could get just about anything to smell like an actual flower. He placed it back onto it's emerald stem, the flower melding back together perfectly thanks to his power over riches. He sometimes forgot he was also the God of Wealth and was the richest being in the universe.

"But one has no need for riches if you have no one to share them with…" Hades muttered depressively as he eyes found the floor and the smoky bottoms of his robes interesting.

* * *

"Brooding over Persephone again I see, Uncle?" a mocking voice came from above as Hades' eye narrowed.

What was that fool doing in his domain?

"What is it, Hermes? You had best have a good explanation to being here. You only annoy me ever time you come, and I have no patience for it today." Hades said, his normal edge back in his voice as Hermes flew down into sight with his normal mocking grin upon his features.

"But of course, Uncle. Why _wouldn't_ I have a good reason? No one _ever_ comes here of their _own_ free will anyway." Hermes said as Hades' fist clenched, his pride wounded as he was once again reminded that mortals and Gods alike would rather fear and cower before him than come to one of his parties or birthdays.

"_As if I ever had parties…_" Hades thought with a mental roll of his eyes, "_Only Persephone and the others of the Underworld celebrated my birthday. How thankful I am to have them_…" Hades thought bitterly and pleasantly before he scowled up at Hermes.

"Persephone comes here of _her_ own free will, _year_ after _year_." Hades said as Hermes' grin only grew upon hearing his words.

"Yes, but _not_ her _first_ ever trip here. If I remember correctly you had to rip open the Earth and _drag_ her down here to be with you and fall in love with you." Hermes said as the air around him grew cold as death.

"That is a _lie_ and you _know_ it! One can not be _dragged_ into the Underworld, or brought here unless of their _own_ free will or _dead_. It was one of the laws I, _myself_, established _long_ before _you_ were born, _Errand Boy_. Now speak your business before I cast you out." Hades said, his voice a harsh and cold whisper that seemed to echo and chill the entirety of the Underworld. Hermes could see the Underworld shaking as if an earthquake had occurred. He was ticked over the Errand Boy comment, but didn't let it show as anything more than a small frown.

"Peace, Lord Hades, peace. Your shaking up the mortals." Hermes placated quickly as Hades regained his composure, "Anyways, I came here to give you a message from Persephone… and strangely enough Hecate and Aphrodite. They have gotten you permission from Lord Zeus to walk the Earth… in _broad_ _daylight_. Wow, wonder what they had to do to get that…? Anyways, they want you to meet with them in the morning." Hermes said as he unrolled a scroll of parchment and read it. His eyebrows rose as he read the two extra names and the "daylight" part. He wasn't the only one as Hades almost felt his heart stop.

"_She got me permission to enter my brother's domain of day…? Her, Hecate, and… Aphrodite…? Hecate I can understand… a little, but Aphrodite? What tricks is that bog witch up to_?" Hades thought, but none of this showed on his face as he calmly rose an aloof brow.

"Where on the Above Ground could they want to meet me? If they wanted to be with me then I could have come to… _Olympus_." Hades said, spitting out the name of the home of the Gods like a foul curse. Hermes' frown deepened at the disgusted tone used for the name of his home.

"I don't know, and I much don't _care_. Oh wait, it says here that they want to meet in Hecate's British domain. A Potter castle. Do you know of it?" Hermes said as he finally handed the scroll over to Hades, who, unlike Hermes thought, took it calmly instead of snatching it away in annoyance. Hades seemed to be deep in thought as a pensive frown appeared on his face before he nodded.

"Yes, I know of it. It was a castle she had me create from the Earth to house those of her most devoted families. They were one of the only magical families that respected me in not only fear, but in wonder as well." Hades said, a ghost of a smile on his face as he remembered the family.

Such a shame that they had dwindled down to only one and the man's wife. Oh well, he was sure that each good member of that house had a special place on the Isle of the Blest.

"Well then, have a great time wherever this Potter Castle is. I hope you all die of fun. Get it? _Die_ of fun. I'm too much!" Hermes said, joking as he nudged Hades who gave him a deadpan look.

"You're _not_ funny. You weren't funny thousands of years ago, you're not funny _now_. I suggest you take comedy classes when the 21st century hits. It can only do you a world of good." Hades said as Hermes' smirk turned to a pout.

"You had better be lucky your one of my favorite Uncles, or else you wouldn't be getting your mail on time." Hermes said as Hades smirked.

"You're one of my favorite Godly nephews, Hermes. Then again I have to chose between a deformed blacksmith, an idiotic poet, a battle-hungry fool, and a little drunk that lusts after even _me_ though he fears to speak my name. I still like the blacksmith best, thought you're a… close second." Hades' said as he walked away, leaving a gaping Hermes in his wake.

"Wait, so you like Hephaestus _better_ than _me_! But I'm _pretty_! … I mean _handsome_, and he's… _him_! Wait, come back! Why do you like him more? Is it because he can make _jewelry_ and all that? I can do that, too! Uncle! Lord Hades! Wait!"

Hades only chuckled heartily as Hermes followed after him, bugging him and buzzing in his ear. It was good to be the normally unbiased Lord of the Dead…

…sometimes…

* * *

Hades hugged his dark cloak closer to himself. He disliked sunlight, not used to being in it for very long. For some reason he could never figure out, the sun's rays upon him always made him feel so cold. He shuffled through Diagon Alley with his hood on. He didn't want Helios identifying him anytime soon simply so the ass-kissing moron could go blabbing to Zeus and spy on him all day. He only hoped that whatever the three Goddesses wanted with him, that was well worth all the annoyance he was putting himself through.

"_But if it's for Persephone, it'll be _more_ than worth it. Even seeing my best friend Hecate is worth it. But Aphrodite… now _that_ puts a sour taste in my tea_…" Hades thought as he entered into a bar of some sort. It hadn't been there last time he was on Earth, but then again that was at least a century ago.

"Ah! Welcome, sir, to the Leaky Cauldron! What can I get you to drink?" the man behind the counter said as Hades sat at the counter.

"Get him a shot of Firewhiskey and us three glasses of Pixy-Mixies. Thank you, Tom." a voice, filled with it's own brand of music, sounded behind Hades' back before he could answer for him. He glanced over his shoulder, seeing a sight that brought a true smile to his face.

Standing there behind him, all smiling at him were three women he knew from the time they were each born, though he had to admit that the second and third women were almost as old as he was (though he wasn't quite sure even _he_ was brave enough to tell _them_ that).

The first was a tall, beautiful, young woman with creamy pale skin. Her long, flowing, and curled black hair ran down her back and shoulders while framing her face. She fidgeted with the white dress she was wearing. Hades knew that, in fact and despite appearance, that white dress was actually a colorful one, though the colors have been washed out from it due to her time in the Underworld each year (a fact Hades felt saddened for as it was one of her favorites). Hades also noted that her eyes were a lively shade of warm chocolate brown, unlike the washed out and mournful brown they were from her time in the Underworld. Hades long since though that his domain sapped at her Godly life-force, but she denied it doing so every time he brought it up. He say that her hair had a more vibrant and lustful look to it than it did in the darkness of the Underworld. He smiled up at her as she fidgeted in her spot, practically bouncing in retained excitement.

This woman was his darling wife Persephone and she seemed as youthful, giddy, and nervous about something as when he had first courted her.

Hades let his gaze drift over to the second as he sent her a nod. The second was another beauty to behold, just like the other two. She looked only a bit older than the first, but seemed to carry the same teenage excitement as she bit her lower lips while he gazed upon her. She had long hair and intense grey eyes that seemed like magical mist was forming right in her irises. She was beautiful and lean, wearing an elegant white and grey dress that seemed to have been created from thin air. Her long black hair was kept back in a simply low ponytail. Hades couldn't tell why, but she wouldn't exactly meet his eyes, and every time he looked into hers she would look away and blush like a teenage schoolgirl with a crush.

This woman was his great friend and confide Hecate, and she was acting rather strangely toward him.

The last woman was nothing to sniff at, Hades begrudgingly admitted honestly. She exuded confidence in her looks, and seemed to greatly enjoy his gaze upon her. While Hades knew mortals and even Gods would see her in whatever form they wanted to be their "ultimate desire", he saw nothing but her true form, the one she purposely took. She had bright chocolate eyes, and wavy brown hair that shine and was tame with great care. A Hawaiian flower was behind her ear as she subtly smoothed out her dress. Her skin was the perfect peach color; not to dark and not too light, and knew nothing of scars or blemishes. It was an even constant all over her skin as Hades raised a brow. He knew this was a form she had picked, because if she was trying to be his "perfect woman" she would have looked a bit more like his wife.

This woman was the sexy and cunning Aphrodite, and Hades was sure she was up to no good with the way she was smiling seductively at him while his wife and close friend seemed so giddy and nervous.

"Ladies…" Hades greeted suavely as he gave them each a nod. He took Persephone's hand and kissed it while she blushed and giggled. He loved having that effect on her…

"Mr. Gloom and Doom." Aphrodite greeted back brightly as she took a seat, leaving one on either side of him which Hecate and Persephone took.

"My love…" Persephone said as she kissed his cheek. He could feel his cheeks heat up, mostly because he was never one for heat or warmth.

"Hey." Hecate said as she gave him a small wave. Hades nodded back as their drinks arrived.

"So… did you hear?" Hecate started as she sipped at her drink. Hades raised a brow.

"Hear what?" Hades asked as he gulped down his shot quickly. The warmth from the Firewhiskey spread through him quickly as Aphrodite gave him a look of approval, probably thinking something dirty.

"About this…" Hecate started but paused as she leaned toward him and lowered her voice, "This Voldemort character. Apparently he's the reason you've had so much work as of late and the reason why souls entering and leaving the Underworld have been doing so, so erratic."

Hades gripped his shot glass tightly as Tom poured him another when Aphrodite signaled him to.

"So _that's_ it! I thought Zeus would have told me something about it; about something like _this_! What with it happening on the Above Ground and all. Why didn't either of you tell me anything before today?" Hades said as Hecate shrugged and Persephone looked away.

"We kind of figured you either knew and wasn't truly worried about it, or that you didn't and Lord Zeus didn't want you to." Persephone said as Hades sighed.

"It could be worst. Remember that other one that was taking souls from the Underworld to use as his own army?" Aphrodite said as she drank with all the grace of one trained since birth for doing such. Hades was always amazed at just how graceful any being could be, _especially_ the Goddess of Love herself.

"Yes, I remember. Zeus was angry that I had allowed it to happen, and we had that huge argument about it. It was a good thing that other wizard dealt with the problem." Hades said with a sigh as he ran a hand through his dark black hair. He caught a glance of Aphrodite licking her lips, but couldn't figure out why.

"Well this mortal is said to be even worse. Killing other mortals left and right with that fancy Killing Curse one of my more hateful children came up with. It's revolting how little respect this mortal has for life… and death." Hecate said as Persephone and Aphrodite nodded in agreement.

"He's got the other mortals so scared of his wrath that they've started calling him He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and You-Know-Who. It's utterly ridiculous." Persephone said with a shake of her head.

"Not nearly as ridiculous as calling every human "mortal" for over thousands of years. How on Grandmother Gaia am I supposed to tell one mortal from another if you just say "that mortal needs to be stopped" or "that mortal's so precious". It's so foolish, and it's a bit redundant as well as tedious." Hades deadpanned as Persephone and Hecate slapped him on his arms while Aphrodite smirked coolly.

"But we are above the trifles such as knowing mortal names, Hades." Aphrodite said as Hades frowned, downing another drink.

How many had he had…? Six…? Seven…? Maybe even ten…?

"The point is, the mortal needs to be stopped. But, he's not our concern until he becomes Lord Zeus' concern. When Zeus feels the weakening of his powers, that is when he'll finally intervene." Hecate said as Hades nodded, motioning for the bartender to pour him another drink.

"Yeah, but Zeus is too prideful and stubborn to be moved against a single mortal. He'll probably have one of his children… or one of _your's_ to deal with the issue instead." Hades said, a slight slur in his normally cultivated voice. Aphrodite's smirk widened from where she was as Hecate and Persephone exchanged nervous, yet blushing looks.

"You're probably right…" Persephone said as she chewed on her bottom lip nervously, "But… that isn't the actual reason we've called you here, my love."

"Oh, and what is the r-real reason?" Hades asked as he gulped down another shot of Firewhiskey. Yet however, the last shot had tasted slightly altered.

"We've called you here, to spend time with us…" Hecate began carefully as Hades suddenly found her far more appealing than normal.

"Yes, and what a… lovely time it's been." Hades practically purred out as he looked his close friend over with a lusty look. Hecate blushed as his gaze ravished her every detail with an intensity that only his dark eyes could give.

"What she means, my love, is that we'd like to spend some truly… _intimate_ time with you…" Persephone whispered sensually in his ear as he felt a shiver run down his spine while placing his hand around her waist.

"Mhmm… I don't know why, but that sounds all too pleasant to be the only reason." Hades said as he brought his wife closer and inhaled the flora aroma of her hair, "Tell me more."

Aphrodite raised a brow as she discarded the empty packet of her most potent ecstasy. Even after having that in his drink, the man was still lucid enough to form coherent thoughts and question their motives, unlike Zeus or even Poseidon, both of whom would have simply bed them as quickly as possible.

As the only God she hadn't lay with no matter her attempts, Aphrodite was quickly finding Hades far more attractive than her simple "hard to get" crush. No wonder Persephone enjoyed the Underworld, if Hades was so… unnervingly sexy and _intense_ in everything he did.

She _really_ hoped he was so intense in _everything_ he did.

"We will, later, husband. I promise." Persephone said as she allowed him to kiss her jaw line and the crook of her neck. Good Zeus, did she love the man!

Hecate and Aphrodite were fast to be sure he stayed from asking more questions as they each began their own sensual attacks on Hades.

"But as for now, Hades dear, will you concede to joining us in a bout of… intense and passionate love-making?" Hecate asked scholarly as Hades chuckled, a sensation that made Persephone moan from the vibration of his mouth upon her neck.

"We promise to make it _well_ worth your while." Aphrodite whispered as her hands snaked down to his lower regions. Hades moaned lightly into Persephone's collarbone as Aphrodite's hands and Hecate's mouth attacked his body while his wife's hands were laid on his chest to keep him seated.

"Mhmm… I think I will." Hades said, as though he were still musing the thought while Hecate stopped kissing at his jaw line to nibble at his ear.

"Then to Potter castle we go… my dear Hades." Hecate said as Hades eyes closed in pleasure. He didn't know what Aphrodite was doing with her hands anymore, but in the name of _Mother Rhea_ was the woman skilled!

"To Potter castle it is, then." Hades said as Hecate smirked. Not even waiting a full second later, the pleasure-driven four disappear with a crack of displaced air, leaving Tom the Barman and Landlord of the Leaky Cauldron to shake his head.

* * *

"Those darn wizards from Greece… never paying after they want to go off and have a lay. I swear they-"

Tom's rant was cut short though, from seeing a note with a smiling Hecate drawing on it atop a noticeably large pouch of gold.

**Dear Tom the Barman,**

**Please accept this as payment for the drinks, and the rest as both a tip and a vow for your silence in our being here.**

**Sincerely,**

**Hecate, Mother of Magic**

"Oh sweet Merlin… it's Merlin's _Gran_!" Tom whispered in awe, picking up the bag of solid-gold drachmas and quickly putting it away.

They were never there. That was his story and he was sticking to it.

* * *

**Ending A/N****: **_**Now, I know what I've done to Harry's parentage here (because who couldn't have figured it out by now?) seems like utter crap, but trust me: I have a plan! Just remember: "they" are not the only ones who can be that sneaky, they were just the first.**_


	2. From Farther to Sun

**Chapter 2: From Farther to Sun**

* * *

"W-Who are you?" an eight year-old Harry James Potter managed to stutter out, backing away from the man before him who was muttering almost fanatically to himself about a son.

Harry had arrived back home at the Dursley's after a long (and last!) day at school. However, when he got back, he found that his family was missing and his cousin Dudley had disappeared off to somewhere with his friends. Harry had initially blinked in confusion as to why the boys weren't trying hunt after him as their usual means of entertainment, but he counted his blessings from whatever deities were out there that they didn't actually take up the sport for once.

After seeing the extremely rare opportunity to be without his relatives, Harry's first decision was to quickly raid the fridge and fill his empty stomach. He would later blame it on Dudley if his aunt and uncle returned while he was doing so, and knew that Dudley wouldn't deny it due to that short-term memory loss he had been suffering from because of his regular levels of stupidity.

However, Harry's plans ran a foul when he turned from the fridge with an armful of food and a cold chicken leg clamped between his teeth as a peaceful expression played on his face, only to find a man covered thoroughly within a dark cloak sitting at the dining room table muttering about how he had "finally found him."

Harry had been rather, and unusually, calm about the mysterious stranger being seated in his house as he sat the food on the kitchen table.

"My boy… My wonderful boy… My son… My beautiful son…" the man muttered as Harry turned back to him, seeing one dark eye gleaming intensely from under the heavy hood of the cloak the man was wrapped in.

Though when he was muttering this, he was standing directly over Harry, who had not heard the man move or seen him do it, so naturally by then, Harry was a bit freaked out.

"W-Who are y-you?" eight year-old Harry stuttered out, backing away from the man.

The man didn't seem to notice Harry's growing fear of him, almost as though he were accustom to people fearing him, as he quickly engulfed Harry in a hug, bending down as he wrapped his cloaked arms around the boy and held him to himself in a tight embrace. Harry felt as though he were in an oven, the heavy and thick cloak being so hot and warm. It was as though the sun's rays had been fixed upon it for a while before the man had gotten into the house.

"My wonderful boy… My son…" the man whispered, stroking Harry's hair as Harry was confused on whether he should still be afraid of the man, who was hugging him, or to break down and cry as he recalled that no one had ever hugged him before or even held him so endearingly.

He chose to cry silently as he slowly and unsurely returned the man's hug. As soon as he did, the man tensed, as though not expecting a return of affection, before he too began to cry, though his sobs were heard by Harry.

"My boy… I am so sorry… Forever sorry…" the man muttered as Harry looked up at him, pulling away from the man to do so.

"Who are you, and why do you keep calling me your son?" Harry asked as he looked into the darkness that was cast by the man's thick hooded cloak, seeing within it's depths a sad smile upon the man's lips.

The man released him, and Harry felt a bit of the normal loneliness he always felt return to his conscious mind as the man backed away slightly.

"Allow me to cast off this cloak first, and then we shall speak, my son." the man said, wiping away his tears before clearing his throat and raising his arms.

Brining his arms down, the cloak seemed to meld off of him while Harry's eyes widened, not at the strange sight before him, but at the faint screams he heard coming from around them as the cloak slowly gathered folded in the man's left hand.

The man smiled as he was done, putting the folded cloak onto the kitchen table away from Harry's pilfered foods. Harry gazed upon him, having never seen anyone like him before a day in his life. The man's short dark hair was just as unruly as his own as it stopped shortly past the man's neck and shoulders. His eyes were dark as well, giving the intensity of one who had seen untold horrors and now mocked them as comedies. He stood tall, his build not like that of a muscular man, but of one who enjoyed a healthy lean life. His skin was nearly pale, as though he had not been in sunlight for a long time, but shone as though those days in the sun had long since passed. In fact, as Harry gazed more critically at the man, his skin was giving off a soft glow, as if making his presence more outstanding as well as intimidating.

The man seemed to notice the same thing, as he took a deep breath and seemed to manually stop the glow as Harry looked up at him in surprise.

Now Harry had always been smart, always top of his class until his Aunt and Uncle had forcibly made him do worst than Dudley, which put him at the bottom of his classes. Even so, his teachers saw what was going and while they couldn't do anything against it (in fear of losing they're careers and being blacklisted) they all made the personal recommendation to have him placed in the next grade at the end of the year. In fact, everyone could see what his family did to him, trying to keep his intellect down while everyone around merely rolled their eyes as Harry was still of a sharper mind than all the Dursleys put together.

With that in mind, it didn't take Harry much more than what he had already seen to deduce that the man who was now standing in front of him was not normal.

Not in the least bit…

* * *

"Harry James Potter… My son…" The man said softly and proudly as he smiled sadly at Harry, "I am Hades, Lord of the Underworld, and God of the Dead as well as Wealth… Your father."

Harry shook his head as he slowly and casually made his way around the table so that the furniture was in-between him and the supposed Lord of the Dead, "You're lying. My parents are dead; my Aunt Petunia told me so. Said they'd died in a car crash."

Hades only chuckled smoothly as he shook his head, "You are still laboring under the delusion that James Potter and Lily Evans were your _true_ parents." Hades said, his amused face turning to one of calm seriousness, "This is not true."

"Th-Then… who was my mum?" Harry asked, still not moving from the other side of the table.

"You have not one mother, but three." Hades said, as though having three mothers were a typically common thing, though Harry gaped in shock at him.

"Three?" Harry asked, "How? Everyone I know only has one mum."

"Tell me, son; what do you know about sexual intercourse?" Hades asked, calmly and completely unabashed, as though he were speaking to another man about the weather.

"About what?" Harry asked.

"You know, sex." Hades said, gesturing vaguely with his hands, "Doing It? Getting a Lay? Fooling Around? Special Grown-Up Hug Time?"

"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry admitted as Hades sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Okay, that's… okay. Do you at least know how babies are born?" Hades asked, looking to Harry, who seemed utterly clueless, "Oh for the love of Grandmother Gaia! What _have_ these mortals been teaching you?"

"Not to ask questions." Harry deadpanned, completely and strangely, unafraid of the dark aura the annoyed man claiming to be his father was giving off. Though the faint screams and shaking of the house were a bit unnerving.

"Oh, they will pay, my son." Hades assured as Harry blinked, now seeing the man sitting at the dining room table once again, "Please, come and have a seat."

"I'll stand, thanks." Harry replied flippantly as the man scoffed.

"You have Persephone's cheek. That'll get you in trouble many-a-days if you don't learn how to hold your tongue. Though thankfully, you are keen beyond your years." Hades said as he gestured to the chair opposite of him, smoke wafting off his hand as Harry found himself blinking again, seated in the chair Hades had been gesturing to, "Though don't think you're a match for any of us just yet, my boy."

"What the…? How…?" Harry said in shock, glancing around wildly and trying to get up as he found his bottom glued to the seat.

"Oh come off it." Hades said, rolling his eyes before leaning forward smoothly in his chair as he peered at Harry through narrowed eyes, "You must know about Greek mythology, and have pieced together by now that I'm telling the truth; at least about who I am. So tell me, son, what are you playing at?"

"I didn't think you'd actually be the God of the Dead and Ruler of the Underworld." Harry admitted as he stopped struggling, sitting like an obedient child, "So, what about my mothers."

"So that's it." Hades said as he leaned back coolly, "You were hoping that I'd reveal your mothers through commenting on your own person and what you inherited from them."

"Maybe…" Harry admitted as Hades smirked.

"You are clever, just like Hecate." Hades said as he raised a hand to stroke his chin, "I suppose I should start at the beginning then."

"Or you could start at the middle and piece it all together." Harry suggested as Hades chuckled.

"There's that cheek again. But no, I think it's best if we got it all done in a straight shot." Hades said before a deep scowl overcame his face, "I don't have all day's time as it is."

"What's wrong?" Harry asked, worried that he'd be losing a person that actually wanted to be his father, even though he was still slightly skeptically that the man was his father.

"Nothing for you to worry about." Hades said with a dismissive wave of his hand, "Now then, I'll start the tale."

"You see, Harry my son, it was many moons ago that-"

"Umm…" Harry said as Hades blinked, then chuckled as he nodded.

"Right, right. You kids are more modern with your stories." Hades said, waving his hand, "Okay then. Harry, nearly nine years ago, your three mothers made a plot to bed me."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked as Hades gestured vaguely like before.

"It's that sex thing we were talking about earlier. I'll tell you when you're older." Hades said quickly before moving on, "Now then, their wanting me wasn't just something born of pure lust over me. No, they also wanted to bear a strong child, one that would be able to defeat the mortal man Voldemort, who was running amuck in this mortal realm while trying to become an immortal God out of his fear for death. Your mothers, however, knew the laws; a God could not directly interfere in mortal affairs until they became ones that needed to be dealt with, and the latest law was that no God of the Big Three could bare children with mortals any longer. With that in mind, your mothers knew what they had to do. They came to me, or rather, I went to them on their calling, and we… umm… had Super Special Grown-Up Hug Time."

"Sex, right." Harry said, nodding as he finally was beginning to understand the whole sex concept.

"Yes… sex." Hades said, annoyed that his son was catching on so fast, and that Persephone would be angry with him for ruining the boy's innocence in regards to the concept of sexual intercourse, "Anyways, they knew I could not bare a Demigod child to combat this Voldemort, so they did the next best thing; they themselves bore my child together, and then impregnated that child within a woman."

"My mum, Lily Evans…" Harry said as Hades nodded.

"Yes, they had everything planned, those three. Your third mother, who shall _not_ be named," Hades said, scowling fiercely at the thought of the vile woman, but not wanting to taint Harry's mind with his own bias, "made it so the two, James Potter and his wife Lily Potter nee Evans, would bed each other on the exact same day, and at the exact same time, thereby ensuring that you would be born right on schedule. Transferring the birth from the three of them, because Godly children do not have to be born the same way mortal children are, they sent you to become Lily Evans child."

"So, let me get this together." Harry said, his head spinning as he connected the dots, "My mothers, _three_ of them, had me, but then after they had me, in a loophole so that you could have me as a child, they gave me to my mortal mum, Lily Evans, in another loophole so that a Godly child could be born from a mortal, so that I could stop this Voldemort person?"

"Yes, you've got it. A little convoluted, trust me, I understand son, but a masterful plan none the less." Hades said, nodding.

"My head hurts." Harry said as Hades smiled somewhat at him.

"Mine did, too, when they told me." Hades admitted as Harry sighed.

"So, I wasn't born out of love… but duty?" Harry asked as Hades shrugged.

"I love you, son. The reason you were born, that doesn't matter, because you're here now." Hades said as Harry smiled, his feelings hurt that his father was not defending his reason for life, but his respect for his father rising as the man was honest with him.

"So, when do I have to defeat this Voldemort man?" Harry asked, having read the stories where hero children of the Gods had to go on quests to beat monsters when they reached a certain age. Harry's stomach growled as Hades raised a brow, but smiled.

"Don't worry, my son, you've already done that… partly, at least." Hades said as Harry blinked.

"How so?" Harry asked, leaning forward as he was suddenly staring at warm fresh versions of the foods he had pulled out of the fridge earlier. Glancing at the kitchen table, Harry saw that the food was still there, restocking itself back into the refrigerator as though by magic.

"Eat while I explain." Hades said as Harry didn't need to be told twice.

"You see, my son, the Potters loved you, never knowing that you weren't actually supposed to be their son. You were born alongside their actual son as twins. Your looks, while still the combination of my own and your mothers, are actually just about the same as the Potters from what I've heard tale of…" Hades said, rubbing his chin before he shook his head, "The point is, the Potters loved you as their own, and when Voldemort came to kill you due to some prophecy made by a child of Apollo, it was that love for you and your twin brother than allowed we of the Gods to intervene."

"Wait, so my parents didn't die in a car crash as drunks?" Harry said as Hades scowled darkly, the room dimming somewhat as the man's eye twitched in aggravation.

"No, your parents _didn't_ die in a car crash, and they certainly _weren't_ drunks. Though they were descendants of your second mother; Hecate the Goddess of Magic. They were mortals with powers, though not powerful enough to be classified as Demigods. Still, they loved you, and I appreciate them for having loved and cared for you before they were struck down. Voldemort killed them, trying to get to you, and I gave them a place in the Elysium Fields; a paradise, or heaven, if you will." Hades said as Harry chewed and swallowed the food in his mouth before speaking.

"So what am I?" Harry asked as Hades smirked, seeing the boy's curiosity.

"I'll get to that in a minute. For now, I want to finish explaining the night of Voldemort's attack on you and your mortal family." Hades said as Harry nodded in compromise.

"Now then, as I was saying before; Voldemort attacked your family trying to get to you. Your mother and father protected you, loving you and your twin brother with all their heart. That love allowed we of the Gods to intervene, though it was on large part due to the Prophecy surrounding you." Hades said as Harry nodded.

"So you saved me." Harry surmised as Hades shrugged.

"I will admit, as much as I am loathed to do so, my baby brother… _Zeus_, was the one that saved you in large. Because of your parents love for you and your brother… _Aphrodite_ was able to use that love as a symbol of her power. She then gave Zeus and the rest of us wanted to help the permission we needed in order to intervene on her behalf. Zeus struck down Voldemort's soul while I, as ruler of the Underworld and God of the Dead, denied your mortal death, reflecting the Killing Curse which Voldemort had sent at you and your brother, back at him at the same time Zeus struck him with his thunder bolt."

"My scar…" Harry realized.

"Yes, it is partly a symbol that we, the Gods, favor you as well as a symbol that the Killing Curse touched you. Voldemort, however, is still alive. He cheated Thanatos, God of Death and Grim Reaper, by having spilt his soul into seven pieces; one of those pieces splitting as it latched onto you and your brother, hence a scar that he has as well." Hades explained as Harry's brows furrowed in thought.

"So… I and my twin brother, have scars because Voldemort tried to kill us and failed, and because the Gods now like us?" Harry asked as Hades shrugged.

"Partly. Trust me, everything is more than it seems. That scar on your forehead is, as well, an accursed symbol of Zeus, so be careful." Hades said as Harry blinked.

"Why? He likes me now, right?" Harry asked as Hades scowled deeply, his face overplayed by shadows even though the room was lit brightly by the daylight outside.

"Perhaps…" was all Hades said as Harry felt that the man's thoughts were taking a darker road before Hades shook his head, "I digress, though. The point is; you are my son, and I have only just found you."

"Wait, it took you seven years to find me afterward?" Harry said, remembering that his Aunt and Uncle had told him that he had been one year-old when his parents died.

"The Gods and mortals alike have been trying to keep you hidden." Hades said with a light scowl, "Some for good reasons, like the mortal Dumbledore, and some to keep you from me, like Helios the Sun Titan."

"Huh?" Harry said as Hades waved his hand dismissively.

"My son, there is far too much for us to say in one sitting, so I'll leave you with this. Dumbledore and his followers separated you from your brother so that Voldemort's followers wouldn't get you both. They believe that your twin is the Chosen One meant to defeat the evil mortal, so you don't have to bother with it if you don't want to. Dumbledore placed you here under a protective charm while your brother went to your godfather for training in their magical arts." Hades said as Harry grew quiet.

"What now…?" Harry asked after a long pause of silence.

"Now, I'll be taking you from this accursed place. During the schooling year, you will spend your time with me and your mothers in the Underworld or at… _Olympus_." Hades said, spitting out the name for the home of the Gods, "During the summer, however, you will spend with the demigods at their pitiful summer camp."

"You… umm… have issues with this… Father?" Harry said as Hades smiled brightly despite himself when he heard Harry call him father.

"Yes, my son, I do. It is only by your mothers' wish that you go any places like those. You were born my son, and as such, I will claim you when you get to camp." Hades said, holding up a hand as he glanced out a window, seeing the sunlight grow brighter, as though moving toward their region, "I don't have much time left, so no questions. Now, at the camp, you will not be treated kindly, being my son and all. Your mothers will claim you as well, but that will only lessen the dislike for you so much. When on… _Olympus_, you will being treated much the same, but the Gods will only have an initial distrust for you instead of the complete opposition the Demigods at Camp Half-Blood will at first. Gods are not so biased in their thinking, and most don't have much of a problem with me."

"So I'm gonna get problems because of who my dad is? Typical." Harry said quickly as Hades smirked.

"Yes, so be prepared. Now onto what you are. You are a full-fledged youngling God; born of one Young Goddess, Two Elder Goddess, and One of the Big Three. However, your actual birth came from a mortal woman, so that makes you… a God." Hades said, pausing dramatically for the last part in an effort to ease the tension as he cast a quick glance out the bright window.

"I'm a God…" Harry muttered in disbelief to himself.

"Yes, you are, but you are of mortal body. That makes you, basically for all intentions and purposes, a Demigod of major power." Hades said, "When you die your first death, and trust me; they get easier after the first, then you will be of all Godly-hood. Your powers, as they are now from what I can sense, are fairly weak from lack of use."

"I have powers?" Harry asked in disbelief as Hades nodded quickly.

"Yes, you do. You didn't think you were doing strange things just because of coincidence, did you?" Hades said, shaking his head, "Now, I'm going to leave, and your family will return within the hour. Pack your things, and be out the door before they do. They will not remember ever having you in their home. The wizards and witches, these are descendants of your mother Hecate by the way, will search for you, though that'll be mostly Dumbledore. When you are of eleven years-old, you are going to be schooled by the wizards and witches at their magical school of Hogwarts. That is, if you choose to go." Hades said quickly as Harry grew confused with his father's constant and quick glances out the window. Was it getting brighter outside, Harry thought to himself as he saw the sunlight pouring through the window.

"Now, my son, I want you to leave this place once I have gone. It is no longer safe here, now that I have made contact with you. Your mothers and I will deal with our relatives, so you need not worry. I will have my minions to watch over you when you have exited the home, and I will leave you some gifts, but I cannot help you any further then that. Once you arrive at the camp, there I shall be able to claim you as my son."

"Claim me?" Harry asked as Hades sighed, standing as Harry felt that his butt was no longer glued to the seat and quickly stood.

"Yes, claim you. It is an ancient tradition. The other Gods beside your mothers do not know you are my son nor theirs. When you arrive at the camp, there they will know when I claim you as my son so that everyone knows." Hades said as he collected his cloak and walked swiftly to the front door.

"O-Okay, but how am I supposed to get to this camp? I don't have any money for the bus, or anything. And you still haven't told me where it is." Harry said, nearly tripping over himself as he tried to keep up with his father. His last day of school, and he had to go to camp.

He had always wanted to go to camp like Dudley had…

Hades merely stopped short of the door and ruffled Harry's hair, smiling down at him, "The first step out the door should be a good start. I'm running short of time, my son, so remember this; Long Island, New York, straight to Camp Half-Blood. Remember that you are never alone as I and your mothers will always be watching over you. Remember that we love you, and that if you ever need us, call on us to lend you strength."

Harry couldn't say anything, because he was so shocked when after his father had donned his thick and heavy cloak, the man bent down on his knee and kissed Harry's forehead like Harry had always imagined his father would while leaving the house for work. Harry lost his voice as tears flooding from his eyes while he threw his arms around his father's middle and quickly hugged the man, not wanting to let him go after only just meeting him and learning so much. He tried, through the tears and sobs, to tell his father not to go, but Hades merely smiled sadly down at him and hugged him back one last time. Letting go of each other, Hades backed away into the bright daylight with his hood overshadowing his face, moving along the street like a beggar before he slowly and surely disappeared in the middle of the daylight while Harry watched on in shock, leaving an eight year old Harry physically alone once more.

* * *

After composing himself, and wiping away his tears, Harry took a few deep breaths before he closed the front door.

"I need to get packing." Harry said to himself as he ran to his cupboard door and threw it open. Having very little, Harry's packing didn't take long as he took his small suitcase in hand and went up to Dudley's room.

Opening the door to Dudley's room, Harry scowled just as fiercely as his father as he saw all the things that Dudley had, reminding him that he wasn't truly loved by his relatives.

"This should have been mine." Harry said darkly as he softly ran a hand over a CD player that Dudley had gotten from Harry's Christmas list to Santa. Harry opened his suitcase on Dudley warm soft bed, and quickly stuffed the CD player inside.

Glancing around the room once more, Harry felt something dark and greedy take hold of him as he looked around, reminded of all the things he had asked for that were given to Dudley instead.

"These were supposed to be mine." Harry said, stuffing comics and books into his small suitcase, "Dudley doesn't even read them. The fat loaf!"

"And these were to be mine." Harry said, growing angrier and darker as he stuffed CD discs into his luggage case, "He doesn't even like them, and the other ones he used as Frisbee!"

"And this should have been mine!" Harry said as he walked over to the virtually untouched book shelf, where sat all the books he had wanted over the years, "He doesn't read! Urgh!"

After angrily ramming the books into his suitcase, Harry stomped to his Aunt and Uncle's room, kicking open the door as he went in. In there, Harry spotted exactly what he wanted; the jewelry. The Dursleys' oh so precious jewelry. The gems and metals he was made to polish to perfection while he was never allowed even one for himself. Raking his hand behind the box, Harry took up the entire open jewelry box and pushed all the precious trinkets into his suitcase. Leaving the suit case on the bed, Harry stormed over to his Aunt's side of the room, going through his nightstand drawers as he searched for-

"Aha!" Harry cried in triumph, pulling out a photo album of pictures, pictures of his mother. Taking them as well, Harry moved through the entire house, pilfering the things that he had been denied his entire life living with the Dursleys.

As he was moving downstairs, Harry felt something wrong with him as he looked down at the small suitcase, which had to be unusual itself as it held much more than it appeared. He felt a tinge of guilt overcome him for some reason. Weren't these things supposed to be his? He was the one who wanted them most. He was the one who had asked for them, not Dudley. Him! Not any of them! Rage started to refill his being as his grip on the suitcase tightened. That was right. It was him who had asked and wanted the things, not any of them. They kept the things to themselves, just to spite him. They were the bad ones, not him! Them!

Harry shook his head as he moved down the stairs. Feelings of remorse, jealousy, guilt, and sorrow did battle within his subconscious as Harry began to cry fresh tears from his confliction. Why was he feeling this way? He had never taken anything before, but these were things that should have been his from the beginning… weren't they?

Harry didn't get to dwell on those thoughts much longer as when he moved out the front door… only to find himself standing in front of a lake… in the noon of day. Blinking his wide eyes in shock, Harry turned around to gaze into the open door of the Dursley's house before he turned back, still seeing the lake.

"What on Earth…?" Harry asked in himself in awe as he closed the door behind him, watching as it disappeared from his view, "I guess that's what he meant by the first step was a good start. But now I don't know where-"

"Hey, kid! What're ya doin' ova there? Ya can't swim in the lake, ya know!" a man said as Harry blinked again, turning to his side to see a man in uniform jogging over to him.

"Where am I?" Harry asked the man as the man blinked at him before he glanced down at Harry's luggage.

"Runaway, huh?" the man asked as Harry raised a brow, feeling unusually calm and collected about the situation whereas before meeting his father he would have been a bit more panicked.

"You could say that. More like running to home." Harry said as the man nodded with a sound of understanding.

"You're on Long Island, New York City. Manhattan, Central Park, to be more precise." the man said, seeing that the kid was not going to be having any kiddy stuff with him, "Where ya from?"

"Privet Drive, Surrey." Harry answered as the man scratched his head in thought.

"Never heard of it. Where ya headed? I'll get one of our boys to take ya there." the man asked as Harry smiled, happy that it was all going so easily.

"I'm headed for Camp Half-Blood." Harry said as the guy chuckled.

"Funny, kid. Seriously though, where ya headed?" the guy asked as Harry frowning, figuring the guy didn't know what he was taking about. Though, it wouldn't hurt to give it another try.

"My father said to go to Long Island, New York and head for Camp Half-Blood. Now, either you can help me, or I can find someone that can." Harry said, surprising himself with his tone that was both superior and yet almost overly arrogant at the same time.

"Oh, so you're one of _those_ children, huh?" the man said, his gaze taking on a more serious look as he sucked his teeth and shook his head, "Boy, if I had a drachma for every time one of _you_ came through here because your parents couldn't be normal and just send ya all on a bus… Follow me, kid." the man said, motioning for Harry to follow as he turned around on heel and stalked away.

Harry shrugged as he followed after the man in the uniform. They walked on a paved walkway, moved along its winding path as joggers and all other sorts of people moved passed them, happily chatting away as Harry found his eyes wandering while he walked, taking in the bright freshness of the park.

* * *

"So, is he going?" Persephone asked nervously as she saw her husband enter the palace in a show of dark flames.

"Yes, he is. I still don't see why you want him to go. He'll be stuck with… her children, as there are no cabins to us or Hecate." Hades said, a scowl forming on his face as Persephone nodded.

"Yes, but at least they'll be family; brothers and sisters." Persephone said as Hades grumbled under his breath.

"Mostly sisters…" the dark God muttered as Persephone went on as though he hadn't spoken.

"I was just speaking with Apollo, distracting him from his rounds with Helios, before coming here. He says that some of those poor children aren't ever claimed by their minor god parents." Persephone said, rubbing Hades arm as he held her to his chest.

"Yes, but what good would claiming them do when they'll have no place to go. My _brother_ and the rest of those _fools_ that sit upon the Council of Olympus don't care about the problems of others so long as they can address their own problems and revel in their own narcissism." Hades sneered, his nose flaring as Persephone sighed.

"I'm sure they'll address this problem once I bring it to their attention." Persephone said as a voice scoffed from the entryway of the foyer.

"But little Kore, you're but a minor Goddess. They'll never listen to you." Aphrodite mocked sweetly as Hecate rolled her eyes next to her.

"Unfortunately, the airhead here is right." Hecate commented as Aphrodite glared at her back while the Queen of Magic practically glided into the foyer, "Even with your mother and Aphrodite here, the Council of Twelve still would not be pressed by us until something major causes them to change."

"But my mother and Airhead sit on the Council of Twelve." Persephone said as Aphrodite gave an indignant cry.

"Hey! I'm _right_ _here_!" Aphrodite yelled, gracefully stomping toward the trio.

"Yes you are." Hades said, narrowing his eyes at her while she smirked, "But if you're not going to contribute to a solution, then you can just as easily be swimming in the River Styx."

"Oh, so dark." Aphrodite purred as Hades growled darkly at her.

"Seriously, what are we going to do about our precious boy?" Persephone asked, looking worried.

"Stuff him with my kids, that's what we're gonna do." Aphrodite said, waving her hand dismissively.

"No, that is what we will _not_ be doing." Hecate said, elbowing the Goddess of Love, who rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure my mother would be more than happy to-"

"Oh, _me_ no!" Hades said, slamming his fist into the nearby table, which shattered and burst into flames while the entire palace shook as though an earthquake had occurred.

"Calm down, big boy." Aphrodite said, rubbing Hades' arm as Persephone narrowed her eyes, "I like the strong, angry, dark, bad-boy-type, but I don't think _now_ is the time for that."

"My son is going _nowhere_ near your mother's cabin!" Hades said as he glared at Aphrodite, pulling his arm from her grasp as though she were poisonous.

"While I admit that my mother is nagging, petty, fussy, distressing, irksome, insistent, picky, choosy, persnickety, overbearing, overprotective, bossy, absent-minded, imperious, pompous-" Persephone began listing off, but as she saw the blank looks she was receiving, she blinked, "Umm… what was I getting at, again?"

"Nothing, you only helped compound my argument with actual evidence." Hades said, waving a dismissive hand.

"I could probably get a cabin built to me in a couple of years." Hecate said as Hades shook his head.

"Don't bother. The twelve sitting upon the Olympian Council are all arrogant airheads." Hades said as Aphrodite glared, her fists clenched at her sides.

"Hey!" she yelled as the others turned to her, "_I_ sit on the Council!"

"Thank you for helping my argument." Hades said dryly as he rolled his eyes, "The point is that my son will not be lumped with those brats in Hermes' cabin, and not with _your_ children either, you shameful woman." Hades said, turning to his sides to glare at Aphrodite, who was looking at her perfect nails.

"Oh Hades, must you be so cruel?" Aphrodite asked with the perfect pout as Hades scoffed at her, not one to fall for her charms.

"Yes. If I wasn't, then you'd walk over me as you do those other weak-willed fools that I have to call brothers and other male relatives." Hades said, though he narrowed his eyes at her even more, "Plus, I also don't like you as a divinity nor as a person. You're temperamental, vain, narcissistic, arrogant, self-serving, and a gossipy shrew."

"Now say something nice like we practiced." Persephone said as she rubbed Hades back, the God of the Dead looking rather annoyed as he crossed his arms while Aphrodite looked smug.

Though none of them would ever know the hurt in which she hid…

"But…" Hades breathed out with a sigh, "I suppose you're also very loving and passionate."

"Y-You really think that?" Aphrodite asked, seeming the perfect mix of cutely shy and meekly flustered as Hades rolled his eyes, believing it an act.

"Yes, I do. You have an unshakeable faith in love, which I have known for eons now. That faith, as hard as I've tried to surreptitiously break it, has stayed absolute and true. You're also benevolent and gentle… to a point with those you favor, and you care very deeply for your children as well as the fathers of said offspring. You preside over the most powerful of human feelings, having great insight into mortal emotions as well as mortal nature… by extension." Hades said as Aphrodite looked a bit taken back by his honest words in her favor. She had never believed that he would have such kind words for her.

Maybe he actually did-

"I think we got off track here, people." Hecate said, seeing Aphrodite's look of surprise from Hades' honest opinion of her character, "We need somewhere to place our young Harry."

"And a place he shall have." Hades said, a dark and stormy expression clouding his face like smoke.

* * *

"What's your name, kid?" the man asked as he turned to Harry.

"I'm Harry Potter, sir." Harry replied, fidgeting slightly where he sat on the edge of the man's desk.

"So, whose kid are ya?" the uniformed man asked as he dialed a number into his office phone while Harry waited at his desk.

"Hades is my father while Persephone, Hecate, and another lady are my mothers." Harry answered, swinging his feet innocently since they didn't touch the ground from where he sat atop the corner of the desk.

The guy nearly dropped the phone as he looked at Harry, gazing the boy over as Harry looked up at him. If the guy didn't know any better, he would have guessed Harry a child of Lady Aphrodite as the boy's expression was just _too_ cutely prefect, though the innocence of such a look was definitely from Lady Persephone. The boy's green eyes shone with power, both mystic and old just as Lady Hecate's did from the few times the park guard had gotten the honor of being in the Goddess's presence. His eyes, however, also were laced with a dark intensity that was either the glow of a madman with a dark past, or a lonely genius as the guard suppressed a shiver from seeing small accidents, though nothing major or life-threatening, in those perfectly almond-round orbs of emerald. The boy's untidy nest of dark hair seemed perfect as well, complimenting his complexion perfectly as well. The boy just seemed so dark and mysterious, yet so innocent and cute. The park guard didn't know what to think but the word "precious" as Harry blinked at him from his staring.

"Is everything okay, Mister?" Harry asked as the guard nodded dumbly before going back and redialing the numbers he had been punching in.

Harry was a little confused as to why the man had been staring at him, but he was used to it. People always stared at him, no matter what he did. Even in his cousin's ugly and oversized hand-me-downs, people would still gawk at him like some circus attraction.

"Hello, JD… Yeah, it's Eric Flincher… Uh huh… Right… Good." the man in uniform, now known as Mr. Flincher, said into the phone as he turned away from Harry, "Listen Jay, we got ourselves a You-Know-What here, and I need you and Pham to come over to this end of the park and get the kid. He's a child of the Rich One, the Innocent One, and the Mystic One. Yeah… Yeah, I _know_… I get it, Jay! Kid's important! I get it, okay! No, I haven't been drinking! Not much! Fine! Just come get the brat! Yeah… Yeah… Okay… Alright…" the guy looked back at Harry, his cheeks slightly red as he muttered quickly into the phone, "… I love you, too, dammit."

As Mr. Flincher put down the phone, Harry smiled at him as the guy pointed a finger and glared in return.

"Not one word, brat." Mr. Flincher said, his cheeks pink as he stomped and grumbled over to a filing cabinet.

Harry watched curiously as the man riffled through the contents of the cabinet before finally finding what he was looking for.

"Never had a child of the Rich One before come through the portal." Mr. Flincher said, "Usually it's only ever Aphrodite's little "love kids", but hey, I guess even ol' Dead Breath can do that trick."

"What trick?" Harry asked as Mr. Flincher turned back to him with something clutched in his hands.

"The portal thing. Let me guess, you walked out the front door, or into a dinner with Daddy, and _wham_; here you are?"

"No, my Dad left because I think the sun was looking for him." Harry said as Mr. Flincher nodded.

"Yeah. Your Daddy's not really an above ground kinda person. The sun Titan, Helios, was probably watching him. Most of Olympus has this thing against Lord Hades because they think he'll either kill them all for making him so hated by the mortals, or that he'll try to take over Olympus." Mr. Flincher said with a shrug as he placed two golden coins on the desk, "Be sure to pay JD after the trip, will ya."

"Okay." Harry said, picking up the two coins and pocketing them, "But what are you? You can't be normal if you know about the Greek Gods like you do."

"Oh look who's the smart cookie." Mr. Flincher teased as he sat behind his desk, "Me? I'm just your average park guard. I clean the park, patrol it, and make sure the stupid mortals don't pollute more of Lord Pan and Lord Poseidon's lakes."

"So what does that make you?" Harry asked, not picking up on the hints as he didn't know much about Greek mythology beyond the Gods and their information.

"I'm just your run of the mill satyr. Ya know, half goat and eating tin cans." Mr. Flincher shrugged as he placed his hands behind his head and kicked back, putting his feet up on his desk.

"Eating tin can't be good for you." Harry said, "When I was little, I tried to eat a coin. My cousin Dudley let me do it, and my aunt was so mad at him. We had to go to the doctor to get some special medicine that made me go to the bathroom and poop it out. My Aunt and Uncle gave us a stern talking to. They said that we were only supposed to eat things that were grown to be food."

"What's your point, kid?" Mr. Flincher asked gruffly, liking tin cans.

"You shouldn't eat tin cans if you have normal food and stuff to eat, it could make you sick or cut your stomach." Harry said as he hopped off the desk and went over to his suitcase. Opening it, Harry dug a hand deeply into it as he pulled out a carrot he had taken from the Dursley's home, "Here, you can have this."

"A carrot?" Mr. Flincher asked incredulously as he stared at the vegetable placed in his hands.

"Yeah. I don't really need it, but its food and not metal. Eating inorganic things is said to be bad for your health, at least, that's what my teacher said. I liked him; he always wore really colorful colors and smelled like dirt." Harry said, recalling his science teacher while Mr. Flincher chuckled.

"That's because you're the son of Lady Persephone. She's the Goddess of Plants, Flowers, and Springtime, so I suppose that you would like a hippie when you saw one." Mr. Flincher said as Harry blinked.

"Huh? A Hippie?" Harry asked as the guy nodded.

"Yeah, a hippie. They're these mortals that are all about peace, love, and the Earth." Mr. Flincher said as Harry smiled a bit.

"They sound nice." Harry said as Mr. Flincher snorted, rolling his eyes.

"Of course they do, but most are just posers." Mr. Flincher said, waving a dismissive hand at the thought of truly liking a hippie.

"Posers?" Harry asked in confusion as Mr. Flincher blinked at him, looking shocked.

"Where have you been livin' kid? Under a rock?" the man asked as Harry's face drained of all emotion.

"No, but my relatives liked to keep me inside the house all day with nothing but chores and school to keep me busy." Harry replied, adjusting his glasses as Mr. Flincher blinked again, not having noticed the glasses before.

"Have you always been wearing those?" Mr. Flincher asked as Harry froze in place, his hand still pushing up his glasses on the bridge of his nose.

"Yeah. I can't see without them." Harry replied, confused as to the question.

"Sorry, I just didn't notice them before." Mr. Flincher, though his thoughts spoke more, "_In fact, I hadn't noticed them at all. Is he already subconsciously tapping into his powers as a child of Lord Hades and Lady Hecate? Both were well-known to have been able to hide in plain sight during the wars. Though I'm also sure he's a child of Lady Aphrodite as well. He did claim to have a third mother, but it could also have been Lady Artemis or even Lady Athena because if a child were to be born so unconventionally, then it could be any Goddess. The boy just looks too perfect to me, that was why I assume Lady Love, but really, it could have been any of the Goddesses_…"

A honking horn interrupted Eric Flincher's thoughts as the man almost fell over in surprise.

"Yo, Eric! I'm here! Bring the kid out, and get your ass here!" a voice, lighter than the gruff of Mr. Flincher's, called from outside the small building as the two walked out with Harry's suitcase in his hand.

"Harry, this is Jason Derricks, or JD. Jason, this is Harry." Mr. Flincher introduced as Harry looked up at the man, who wasn't nearly as… man-like as Mr. Flincher. The guy, riding in the golf cart with police lights, seemed to have a girly air to him.

"Hey, kid." the man Jason said, smiling at Harry, "You can just call me JD, everyone does. Now, hop on it, and I'll-"

"Be taking the both of us to summer camp." a stern and cold voice said as JD and Mr. Flincher gazed behind Harry, looking shocked and freighted for their lives as they did.

Harry turned around to see what had made the men so scared, but when he did, all he saw was a lady, who was dressed rather conservatively with a straight bun and a pair of rigid glasses that seemed to give her the look of a very prim and stern school teacher.

"Mrs. Dodds…" Mr. Flincher breathed out in a hiss, "Still teaching, I see. I would have thought they'd fire you."

"I have tenure, chump." the severe woman, Mrs. Dodds, said back in a hiss, though the cruel smile she held made Mr. Flincher shiver, "I'm here to be sure the young Lord is guided safely to the camp, and protected from any and _all_ dangers."

"We can handle that!" JD said as another man walked over, looking as though he had just abandoned his post to help his friends, "Right Pham?"

The guy, who must have been Pham, only nodded silently as Mrs. Dodds wagged a finger at them.

"Now, now, boys. Your own collective stupidity is considered a danger to him as well." she said, brushing past Mr. Flincher, who had moved protectively in front of Harry, before kneeling before Harry, her head bowed to him in respect.

"Umm… Hi…" Harry said as Mrs. Dodds looked up.

"My Lord, I am here to help guide you to Camp Half-Blood. The other Gods now know that you are on your way there, and some wish to do you harm." the female teacher said as Harry didn't know what to say.

"Why?" Harry asked, figuring that was the safest route to go in questioning.

"I can't explain here, as the sun is upon us, but while we're on our way to the camp, I can. Please forgive me, my young Lord." Mrs. Dodds said as Harry nodded while the woman rose, "Now let's go, boys."

"JD said they could handle it." Mr. Flincher said sternly as he and Mrs. Dodds squared off, staring each other down.

"You may be a powerful satyr, but _don't_ forget your place." Mrs. Dodds hissed venomously, "You would leave my Master's son in the heads of a wood nymph and a child of the Drunken One?"

"Look, _we_ don't have any problems with Lord Hades, if that's what you're getting at just because-"

"No, that's not. The point is that he is a child of my Lord, and that he has _many_ enemies." Mrs. Dodds said after a sigh, her stern appearance gone as she gave Mr. Flincher a soft look, "I get that you would protect him as you would your own, but a situation like this has me a little tense. My Lord has not bore a child in the last half-a-century. I have forgotten how unpredictable Gods and mortals alike could be when dealing with my Lord's offspring. The nature spirits and others have helped me get here while the Sky-High One has been sending out his hordes to find me, and by extension; the young Lord here. Besides, I was personally ordered by Lord Hades face-to-face to help whatever escort the young Lord got to the camp."

"I'm sorry, too." Mr. Flincher said, even though Harry didn't remember Mrs. Dodds apologizing to him, "I've been a bit tense ever since he told me who his parents were, especially his father. I mean, he's clearly of mortal body, but his scent, and by extension; his power, is much too strong to be that of a Demigod."

"He's a child of… _circumstance_, from what I've been told." Mrs. Dodds said as though Harry weren't there and he was some sort of high-bred puppy, "Very special, very powerful, and many enemies."

"Then you all had best be moving on then." Mr. Flincher said, the carrot still in his hand as he used the other hand to pull a card from his pocket, "Here, Harry. If you're ever in need of a satyr, you know who to call. And thanks for the carrot, kid."

"Thanks, Mr. Flincher." Harry said as Mrs. Dodds looked amused and sent a look to Mr. Flincher, who groaned.

"I'll have to remember that one, Eric." Mrs. Dodds said as she pushed up her glasses, which gleamed in the sunlight.

"I will, too, _Mr. Flincher_." JD said as he winked at the man, who turned slightly pink in the face as he grumbled to himself, "Now come on people, we're burning daylight. And you of all people should know what happens in the dark, Alecto."

"That's Mrs. Dodds so long as _you're_ concerned, wood nymph." Mrs. Dodds sneered, her almost kind look gone as she glared at JD while Pham helped Harry into the back seat of the golf cart, which appeared to become a standard car as Mrs. Dodds got in the backseat with Harry while Pham got into the font passenger seat.

"I thought nymphs were only girls." Harry said in confusion as JD turned in his seat to look at Harry, smiling as he did.

"I am a girl, but in order to work close to Eric, I needed to be a guy park guard as they were looking for three guys when we applied with Pham. Work as the park security and such, then when some God or Goddess sends they kids through the lake-view portal, we pick them up and alert the camp to meet us halfway. At least, that's how it normally works." JD said as he shook Harry's hand, while Harry watched as the man's features shifted into a woman's ones, "My real name is Jasmine Derricks. Pham here is a son of Lord Dionysius, the God of Wine, Vegetation, Theatre, and Madness."

Pham only gave a nod to Harry, as Harry suspected the rough-looking man didn't speak much.

"Don't mind him, he doesn't like to talk much. His dad got mad at him for ruining a field of wine grapes by playing in them, and ever since he was punished, he's never been the same." JD said as she started up the car, and drove like a bat out of Hell.

"Why are we going so fast?" Harry asked, having to yell as he was forced into his seat.

"Because we can't allow the monsters to catch us." Mrs. Dodds said, as though the ride didn't affect her, "Now, I can tell you why some of the Gods wish to see you dead. You see, my young Lord, you're birth and it's nature are cause of controversy."

"Huh?" Harry asked, never having heard the word before.

"It means that people are wondering what will happen now that they know you are a God born of mortal flesh. In essence, you are a very powerful Demigod until you die your first death, and become a true God." Mrs. Dodds said as Harry nodded, "But by you being in that sense, a Demigod, that means you fall to the Great Prophecy. Basically, it's a tale which suggests that a child of the Big Three; Zeus, Poseidon, or Hades, will decide the fate of Olympus' rule over the mortals. Either the child will condemn their rule to darkness as they did the Titans, or the child will bring their rule to greater glory."

"And the Gods don't want to take that chance of me dooming them." Harry said, "Because even though my real parents are gods, I was still born from a mortal woman."

"Yes. Though it took them several years to figure it out, with Lord Zeus being the first when he tried to strike you down outside your doorstep in Surrey." Mrs. Dodds said as Harry paled, remembering that Zeus shot thunderbolts, "Though my Lord was always a step ahead of his baby brother, turning your front door into a direct portal to here. Lord Zeus didn't have the time to redirect his attention to you directly again, so he had the others Gods to do it."

"But I'm going to see him eventually, right?" Harry said, "Dad mentioned that I'd be going to Olympus with my mothers during the schooling year while I sent my summers at the camp."

"That is right." Mrs. Dodds said, "The Gods are a bit more complex than I can explain. Basically, its like a football game. Your on one team, and right now they're on the other. The ball is in your possession right now, and they'll all keep coming at you until you've made it to the goal, or Camp Half-Blood in this case."

"Okay, I get." Harry said, nodding at the simple analogue.

"Yes, because it's more of a game for the Gods rather than your actual life being at stake." JD said from behind the wheel, as she verged the car to turn. Harry slammed into the door on his side as everyone else seemed completely unfazed by the wild wide turn.

"So, the Gods don't like me right now because I could be a danger to their rule? And right now, they've made a game of killing me?" Harry asked, summing it up as everyone in the high-speed car nodded.

* * *

After an hour of driving around at the speed of sound, Harry was beginning to feel sick of all the twists and turns while Mrs. Dodds and JD were arguing over whether they had made a wrong turn at the Empire State building. They were obviously lost from what Harry could tell, as Pham was looking over a map of New York.

"But I took that turn! You saw me!" JD yelled as she quickly spun the wheel of the car into a sharp left turn, "I clearly went down Main Street and then turned onto Pine Drive."

"You did, but we're still lost." Mrs. Dodds said, "When was the last time you even left the park?"

"A few months ago. Eric does all the driving most of the time, but I had the cart because of some mortals that needed help on my end." JD replied as Mrs. Dodds sighed.

"The Gods could be interfering, using their powers to switch the road signs, or something." Harry said as JD slammed on brakes, stopping just behind a heavy flow of traffic. JD, Mrs. Dodds, and Pham all stared at Harry as though he had grown a second head, "Did I say something wrong?"

"No." JD assured him as she switched to the gas petal, blurring pass the traffic jam, "We just weren't thinking when words came out of our mouths."

"Indeed." Mrs. Dodds agreed, "How could we not have seen it? The Gods, most likely Hermes, have been diverting our journey."

Harry said nothing as they went back to riding in silence. He began to think about the camp and what it would be like. When he did, he grew nervous as to how he would fit in, not knowing what he was getting into at all. It reminded him of his time in elementary school. Harry's stomach knotted, feeling as though he were going through the whole awkward process all over again.

After another half hour of driving and sharp turns, which didn't affect Harry anymore as he finally learned that seatbelts were there for at least some reason, Harry began to feel tired. He figured it had something to do with the time difference between England and America, portal lag, or whatever Mrs. Dodds had muttered when she voiced his fatigue. He laid back into the seat and quickly fell asleep as the normally stern woman smiled warmly down at him, running a hand through his hair.

Harry's eyes snapped open as the car's side was slammed into.

"Wh-What's happening?" Harry cried aloud as Mrs. Dodds was fumbling with her door while Pham was punching at the windshield, trying to smash it.

"We're under attack! We stopped at a corner to see if Lady Hecate would guide us from the crossroad, but were attack by-" JD cried out, but was cut off as something slammed into the car again. Harry was glad for the seatbelt, as he now understood what it was like to be in a washing machine as the car shook from side to side before it was finally flipped over, tumbling over and over again like it was being rolled downhill. When the spinning finally stopped, Harry tried to get back into his seat just as Mrs. Dodds made it out her door and slammed it shut behind her quickly with a battle cry. Harry could hear roars and hisses, then the car ceiling buckled under some form of weight. As Harry looked out the window, he saw that it was nearing night as something flew past and another something gave chase.

* * *

Then it started. Something blurred past the window that Harry was looking out of, blocking his view as he backed away into the middle of the car. The left and right sides of the car started moving towards him and the floor of the car moved upwards, while the metal of the vehicle began to groan from being flexed. The glass windows shattered, as Harry covered his head with his hands. It didn't know what was going on as the car was been bent into two halves, like someone were trying hard to break the automobile in half at the middle. Pham and JD looked back at him, as Harry tried not to seem half as scared as he felt.

"Dodds! Do something!" JD yelled as an animalistic cry of fury rang out, the darkness that had encompassed the windows disappearing with a hiss as JD breathed a sigh of relief.

Then came the worst part yet. Harry heard a smashing sound followed by a loud hissing and a voice shrieking.

"_MEAT_!" came the loud hiss as Harry turned to the window just as a snake's head poked through. It saw terrifying, yet at the same time, seeing the large snake (which Harry unconsciously noted as a boa) was somewhat a relief and calming factor. Its scales were a sickly yellow color and its eyes were golden, gleaming with the intent to capture its prey in its powerful jaws and not let go. Harry didn't have time to process his shock as the snake snapped at him, with Harry stumbling backwards on the seat of the car as he watched the reptile in a vague sense of detached fascination. The way from its fangs shot out from the roof of its mouth when it snapped at him. The way it's muscles coiled and tensed when it lunged. Harry wasn't even aware that he was dodging the snake's every strike with apparent ease as he watched it.

The only thing that annoyed him, or in other words was bringing him back to reality, was the fact that JD was screaming for Pham to do something. The silent rough-looking man nodded as his hand shot out and grabbed the mighty python by the neck. The snake gave a hiss, but that was all it could do before Pham used it to bust the windshield as the snake itself continued to fly out atl least twenty meters from the car.

"Harry, get out! Now!" JD ordered as she jumped out of the car, no longer in the blue uniform, but in robes befitting a lover of nature as leaves decorated her dressings. She had long blonde hair and pinkish skin with elf ears.

Pham jumped out of the other side of the car, dressed in not the blue uniform of the park guards, but in what appeared to be outfit fit for a college frat boy's all-night party. Jeans and a t-shirt adorned him, with a lopsided baseball cap and an old Greek wine chalice in his hand.

Harry wasted no time in scrambling out the door behind him, and away from the car as Pham took hold of his hand and ran. For a few moments, Harry didn't understand what was going on anymore, but then after turning around, he understood. The car had apparently been in bind by the snake, who now that Harry could see it in all its glory, was extremely long and very big for a snake. The apparently very quick reptile was the reason why the van was crushed. Looking around wildly, Harry saw that they were parked along a dirt road at a grassy intersection, miles from the city as Harry could see it clearly in the long distance with it's many lights in the fading sun.

"Holy Hebe! It's Python!" JD said, running on bare feet as she ran with them.

"I know it was a python, but-" Harry said while running, but Pham shook his head.

"No! Not a python, but the Python! it's the snake that was killed by Lord Apollo!" JD said as she dodged one of the snake's strikes while it chased after them, slithering along the road quickly "It was going to guard the entrance to the Underworld, but Lord Apollo took it as a guard of his sun chariot and some of Lady Artemis' sacred forests."

"Well, it's a little far from home, isn't it?" Harry asked as JD glared, not feeling that it was a time for wise cracks as the snake's fangs were bared at them while they ran.

"Just keep running!" JD instructed as she took Harry's other hand with all of them running faster. Python's hisses could be heard as though the snake were at their ears.

"What about Mrs. Dodds?" Harry shouted in panic as Pham kept a tight grip on his wrist, even when JD let go to start summoning flowers and trees to slow the snake down.

"She's fine. Look!" JD said, pointing ahead as Harry turned to see where they were running.

Harry eyes widened as he saw an old woman with black skin, large leathery bat-like wings, claws, a mouth full of yellow fangs, and glowing dark eyes. Somehow, Harry just knew that had to be Mrs. Dodds as she did battle with very big boar.

"Don't worry." JD said as they ran, smiling down at Harry as she jumped, the snake's fangs hitting a rock that had been in her way, "The way she looks now reflects her nasty attitude. So remember to always be a good and kind person Harry, or else."

Harry did nothing but nod dumbly as he wasn't sure if JD was telling the truth or not.

Python must have gotten angry and serious when it hit it's head as a few seconds later, JD was knocked aside from Harry by the snake's tail while Harry ducked under it. Pham let go of Harry's hand, and grabbed the tail, slinging the snake toward where Mrs. Dodds and the boar were fighting. It didn't take the snake long to get back to them, slithering at high speed as it lunged at Harry and Pham. Pham pushed Harry out of the way as he moved to the side himself, both watching as Python's mouth bit into the grassy ground of the dirt road.

Harry watched as Pham jumped atop the snake's back, while Python cleverly used his tail and threw Pham into a ditch along the road, where the son of the Wine God was left groaning while the snake advanced on Harry.

"Back!" JD yelled as she came running with a wood stake that must have been tossed along the road. She jumped in front of Harry, holding out the stake at the ready to defend the young child as the snake began to hiss.

"_Meal time_…" the snake hissed as Harry blinked, having heard its words perfectly, "_Nymph meat_…"

"It wants to eat you before me." Harry translated as JD looked back at him.

"You could have kept that to yourself!" JD said as she slashed at the snake a few times, trying to drive it off.

"_Go away_!" Harry said to the snake, though JD looked back at him with wide eyes as she heard the young dark-haired boy hissing.

"_No_! _Meal, meat, food_!" the snake hissed back as Harry grew annoyed that the beast wasn't being reasoned with.

In his annoyance and anger at the whole situation they were in, Harry took the stake from JD's delicate grasp and threw it with dead-on accuracy, stabbing Python's tail into the dirt road as the snake reared it's head back and screeched in pain, thrashing about as it tried to get the large wooden splinter out of its precious tail.

"_Kill you_! _Eat_! _You_! _Eat you_! _EAT YOU_!" Python screamed in anger that only Harry could understand while JD looked vaguely worried for the creature that had been attacking them. Harry too had to admit, that some part of him was worried that he had seriously hurt the poor thing, and was feeling slightly guilty for his actions. However, a much larger part of him was angry and resentful that the snake had been trying to eat him and his new friends, so he glared at the pained beast.

Another screech filled the air, this one sounding completely different however. Harry looked up and saw Mrs. Dodds, in all her black-winged glory, as flapping around Python's head trying to scratch out the snakes eyes. Python turned its attention from Harry and JD while trying to snap at Mrs. Dodds, missing the woman-turned-demon by centimeters.

"Go! I will handle this!" Mrs. Dodds hissed out in normal English, unlike the snake Python, while she backed off and flew higher trying to stay out of the snake's reach.

Python, however, must have understood English, as he turned his attention back to Harry. Without even a moment's delay, the mighty Python had lunged at him. JD pushed Harry off the road and into a nearby tree as she blocked the snake's path with her own body. Harry watched in horror as the young nymph's eyes closed shut when Python was mere inches away from her chest.

Then a loud battle cry rang out as the snake suddenly dropped back to the ground from it's lunge, a mere foot from JD's feet. JD backed away quickly as Harry looked over and saw that Pham had stabbed the wooden stake even further in through Python's tail, effectively pinning it to the ground once more.

Python was seeing red as the snake turned and bared it's fangs at Pham, getting very frustrated at being kept from consuming prey.

What Harry saw next happened in the blink of an eye. Python had caught Pham in his yellow-eyed sight before rushing toward the son of Madness, quickly wrapping around the frat boy's body before beginning the slow and painful process of actually squeezing the life out of the man. Harry's eyes widened and so did JD's own, both recalling what the snake had done to the car… which had been made of metal, something a lot stronger than flesh.

Harry snapped out of his thoughts as he saw Pham quietly turning flush with blood as he tried to fight off Python. Even with Mrs. Dodds clawing at Python, the snake wouldn't let go, and Pham wouldn't last long. After only a few seconds more, Harry watched as Pham's thrashing limbs began to slowly stop while his eyes rolled back into his head.

Harry couldn't watch it anymore. He felt so helpless. Pham, JD, and Mrs. Dodds were hear trying to protect him, they were trying saving his life. Harry's temper flared even higher as he glared at the snake. It was trying to kill them, eat them; both him and his new friends. He hadn't had many friends with Dudley's bullying ways keeping people from trying to be his friend, so Harry was damn sure going to hold onto his new friends as he wanted a fresh start. Rushing forward, Harry began hissing at Python, beating the snake with all his might as he pounded at it with fists and legs, punching and kicking.

"YOU LET HIM GO! _LET HIM GO_! DIE!" Harry shouted, no longer caring about himself as he beat the snake. Then, moving to the tail, Harry jerked the wooden stake from the tail, making the wound gush blood as he began stabbing Python all over with all the might that his eight year-old Godling body could muster.

Python hissed unbearable pain as the snake turned his attention back to Harry, once again lashing out at the boy. But this time, Harry didn't move. He wouldn't move. He would not dodge, duck, nor back away. He would slay the snake that dared attack him and his friends.

So with nearly God-like aim, Harry used his left hand which was still tightly holding the wooden stake in it, and thrust upward into the Python's mouth. The wooden splinter pierced the roof of the reptile's mouth, penetrating the brain, and the point of the stake coming out of the top of the snake's skull as it froze like a deer caught in headlights. Then the snake's body went limp as the snake and Pham dropped to the ground. Pham seemed to come back to the land of the conscious at the fall, stumbling to his feet as he quickly untangled himself from the dead Python's grasp.

* * *

Mrs. Dodds, who had been flapping about in the air watching as the son of Hades took on his first beast, landed and transformed into her teacherly appearance while JD came over cautiously, nudging the snake's body with her foot.

"Is it really dead? Because I hear tale that mortals can teach their animals how to fake it." JD asked as Pham shrugged.

"Yes, it's dead." Harry said, not knowing how he truly knew, but knowing that he did know the snake was defeated.

"Are you sur-" JD was saying, but then they all gave a cry of surprise when the mighty Python burst into a shower of golden dust, like the glimmering sparks of sunlight before they were blown away in a sudden gust of wind.

"Are you okay?" Harry asked as he placed a gentle hand on Pham, truly worried for the man's well-being even though a larger part of him knew the man was very much alive and relatively unharmed.

"Yes…" Pham said, his voice soft from disuse and slightly Irish in tone, "And thank you…"

"Pham! You spoke!" JD gushed, hugging the much larger being, "You almost never speak!"

"My young Lord, you-"

But Mrs. Dodds didn't get to finish her statement as Harry felt a pain shooting up his arm. Looking down shakily at the appendage, Harry saw a scrape mark from where one of Python's fangs must have caught him and scratched his wrist. Harry felt faint, his vision cloudy as his eyes grew heavy. He felt like his veins were on fire, and his ears were pounding. He couldn't hear whatever it was that Mrs. Dodds was screaming at him while she shook him like a rag doll. It was like the world around him had ceased to be as Harry found Pham in front of him next to Mrs. Dodds, making gestures to stare into his eyes.

Harry then found himself feeling numb, the world around growing dark and cold as he allowed himself to slip into the sweet embrace of unconsciousness.


	3. Homes Are Where You Sleep, Harry

**So, I'm a little confused as to the ages of the PJ characters, because one site says they were before in the years I posted, but another says they were all born one year eariler. So, as not to confuse myself (or you readers) anymore, I'll just go with the years and dates I have.**

**On another note, I am not giving up on anything! I understand people's concern given my track record for starting stories and practically leaving them for dead, but I try to go back to those stories and renew them as best I can. It's just... most times, I don't know how to move the plot along any further than I have. If any of you have stories of mine that you like, and ideas for them, please tell me. It could help me churn out another half to a chapter I've left half-written and dusty.**

**Oh well, on with the show! **

**Chapter 3: Homes Are Where You Sleep, Harry**

* * *

Harry slowly woke up to the taste of sweet he had once enjoyed at Mrs. Figg's house in his mouth. Lying on a soft and comfy bed, Harry's eyes fluttered open as his blurred vision saw someone standing over him. Then, something metal was shoved into his mouth before the taste of chocolate cake he had once gotten from Mrs. Figg as well assaulted his taste buds. Harry blinked a few times, hoping his vision would clear up even a little bit. Though he was entirely surprised when it actually _did_, clearing to perfection as he saw a girl with curly brown hair and loving blue eyes staring down at him. She smiled, in her hands a spoon and a bowl with some manner of food inside of it.

"Wh-Where am I?" Harry asked, his voice coming out as a low mutter and his throat dry.

"You shouldn't try and talk. You were only just poisoned less than an hour ago." the girl said, "You were nearly dead! Though your recovery… it's unreal! Though you still need rest." the girl said with a shake of her head as she spooned out the food, which reminded Harry of a watery porridge, before almost shoving the spoon into his mouth, "There! That should have you up and running in a few minutes."

"Thanks." Harry said, coughing a bit as the curly-haired girl smiled before walking away without another word.

Harry lay back in the soft bed, closing his eyes as he could feel a weight being lifted from him. He could feel his senses clearing, and his breathing become easier. Not thinking, Harry slipped back into sleep without protest.

* * *

Then, as if only a few seconds had passed, Harry's eyes flew open when thunder roared above and the ground beneath shook violently. Harry groaned at having his sleep disturbed as he could hear yelling outside of wherever he was. Getting up from the bed, Harry stood to his feet; though nearly fell over as he placed a hand on the bed for support. After the spinning of his head stopped, Harry took a few deep breaths before assuring himself that he could walk. Seeing that he was still in his own clothes, Harry went to the cracked open door, where the yelling, thunder booming, and earth quaking grew stronger and louder.

"He is an abomination!" a stormy voice like thunder boomed, "He is a danger to us and our rule!"

"He is my son, and you shall watch what you say!" another voice, this one stern, cold, and furious all at once shouted back, "He is no more a danger to us than that boy you bore was!"

"I can't believe you broke our vow! You swore it on the River Styx!" the first voice boomed as Harry walked out of the room on unsteady legs.

"I broke nothing!" the second, far colder voice shot back.

"He is of mortal!" the first snapped, lightning illuminating the first glance Harry got of the outside. Blinking away the spots in his vision, Harry moved out of the room, finding himself over looking a green meadow with the smell of strawberries filling the air. Though that paled in comparison to the virtual hurricane in the sky and the tremors which shook the ground as Harry had to grip the doorframe just to stand up right.

"He is my son!" the second shouted venomously, "Nothing more and nothing less! I bore him with Goddess, and they bore him again with mortal."

"So you admit to knowledge of creating that abomina-!"

"Call him that again, and you shall have _me_ to deal with, _brother_." the second said, his voice even colder than ice as he spoke so calmly that Harry felt the cold chill of death creep upon him. He had no idea how he knew it was of death, but he was too afraid to care.

The first didn't speak again for a long time as the earth stopped shaking. The storm above wherever they were didn't dissipate, though. Harry walked out even further, and saw the source of the two voices.

The first he saw reminded Harry of what it was to look at a storm in motion as it came from over the horizon. It was a man, though he was far from average. The man had long dark grey hair with a perfectly symmetrical grey-and-black goatee. The man's eyes looked as though they were storm clouds themselves, grey while they gleamed with a spark of blue in his anger. His face held a grim but handsome and proud look as he was dressed formally in a blue suit with a white pinstriped overcoat and pants, red tie, and white undershirt.

The second man, however, Harry was glad to see, though in the man's present set of mood, Harry wasn't sure if he'd have the feeling returned. It was his father! The man's dark eyes held a look that were both cold and yet heated with anger.

"… We shall speak of this again, brother." the formal man said, glancing at Harry with distain as Harry gulped. Hades caught the look and turned, his stone cold furious expression softening as he gazed upon his son.

"We shall, my young brother." Hades promised as the other man eye' twitched at the way he was addressed so dismissively, "And please let Apollo know that he is to come and see me here immediately upon your return to Olympus. I have words for him."

"What Apollo did-"

"Was uncalled for." Hades said chillingly, cutting off his brother.

"This boy-"

"I will here no more of this, Zeus." Hades said, turning sharply on heel to glare at his brother, Zeus, who glared right back, "Or shall we speak of your own children?"

"I have no children born of mortal." Zeus said firmly as Hades regarded him icily, "Unlike you."

"He is a God among mortals, and you can see it." Hades said back, just as firmly as the storm above rumbled while lightning coursed.

"I will allow him to live, then… for now, at least." Zeus said, glancing between his brother and the child, "If only to appease you."

"You allow _nothing_." Hades spat, glaring as shadows began to move wildly, "Do not think yourself above me, _brother_. I rule just as you do. We are _equal_, as is Poseidon with us."

"Yes, I know that, as I am reminded every time I meet you." Zeus said through gritted teeth, "Though I think this is hardly the place to, as the mortals would say; to air our dirty laundry."

"On that last, we can agree." Hades said, sneaking a glance back at Harry, "Shall you be staying then, brother?"

"I think so." Zeus said, crossing his arms, "I would not have you punish Apollo unjustly."

"You dare accuse me of being unjust?" Hades demanded furiously as Zeus waved his hand dismissively.

"Peace, brother. I am merely saying that your emotion toward the boy-"

"Would not impair my judgment." Hades said, his fists clenching at his side at the slights Zeus were making, "I have judged mortals and Gods alike for eons! Where others have been lax, I have stood stern. Where you have been have slacked, I have been rigid. I am just about the only one who takes their job seriously!"

"Peace, brother, peace." Zeus said, looking slightly offended at the jab, but also slightly amused that he was always able to get a rise out of his eldest brother, "I'll merely watch on and only speak when I feel something needs to be said."

"Fine." Hades said, grabbing the hem of his black robes as he strolled over to Harry, his robes billowing as the storm above slowly dissolved, "But just know I have plans for today and this camp, some involving a bit of change."

"What do you mean?" Zeus demeaned, "Hades? Hades, answer me!"

But Hades did not, smirking as his back turned to Zeus while he knelt down to his son. Harry looked up at his father, not knowing what to feel. He had been called an abomination by… his uncle? Well, it was just as hurtful as being called a freak or misfit, so it wasn't anything Harry couldn't handle. Though it did make him wonder, for some reason, if all his uncles would be as spiteful of him as Vernon and Zeus were.

"How do you feel, Harry?" Hades asked as Harry blinked, having been lost in thought.

"A little dizzy… sort of like when that snake bit me…" Harry admitted as Hades' face darkened and so did the area. Zeus must have gone off somewhere as the storm was gone, which Harry guessed the man had created.

"Don't worry, it shall pass." Hades said, stroking Harry's hair as he stood, "Come. I have someone for you to meet."

And with that, Hades strolled away, his robes billowing in his wake as Harry stared after him.

"I said to follow, my son." Hades said, not stopping for even a second as Harry stumbled slightly while jogging to catch up.

* * *

When they stopped, they stood in front of a large baby-blue house with white trim, which held a hammock on its deck. On said deck was a man with a scruffy beard and thinning hair. He wore a tweed suit and was sat in a wheelchair.

"L-Lord Hades and young charge… H-How might I help you both today?" the man said as he tired to keep the nervousness out of his voice.

"My son here needs a place in your camp, Chiron." Hades said in a business-like tone, getting straight to the point, "He will be a summer-only camper."

"Yes, well that's… g-great!" Chiron said, casting a nervous glance at Harry, who was hiding slightly behind his father, "His name, my Lord?"

"Harry James Potter." Hades answered as Chiron nodded writing it down on a clip board.

"And you said summer only?" Chiron asked for clarity as Hades nodded.

"Yes. During the schooling year, my son shall either be with myself in the Underworld, or at… _Olympus_ with his mothers."

"M-Mothers, my Lord?" Chiron asked, his eyes wide as Hades nodded, beginning to scowl.

"Yes, is that a problem?" Hades asked as Chiron couldn't seem to shake his head quick enough.

"No, not at all Lord Hades!" Chiron said, "I was merely questioning whether he was a half-blood, if his mothers are able to be on Olympus."

"He is a God, but because he was transferred to be birthed by a mortal woman, he is of mortal body." Hades said as Chiron nodded, seeming as though he had dealt with a situation like so before and was recalling what to do.

"Where shall he be assigned, Lord Hades?" Chiron asked, looking as though he were trying to break some news in the least tragic way, "Y-You… You have no cabin here…"

"I know that, centaur!" Hades snapped as both Chiron and Harry shrank back. At not being able to see Harry out of the corner of his eye anymore, Hades turned to see his son hiding behind his robes. At seeing the freighted expression on his son's face, Hades gave a sigh before taking some calming deep breaths, "I know I have no place here, but I will soon, Chiron. I can assure you of that."

"As you wish, Lord Hades." Chiron said as Hades gave a very rare soft look as he ruffled his son's hair absentmindedly. So long since he had the feel of parenthood… So long since his last child had embraced him… So long since he had placed them in that accursed place simply so he could both manipulate the prophecy and keep his promises while also keep them safe from Zeus…

Yes, those children were far better off where they were… At least, until something had distracted all the Gods long enough for Hades to have them sneaked out with a plan…

"Lord Hades, it looks as though your son could use some nectar." Chiron suggested as Hades looked back at his son, seeing the boy clutching at his robes with a pale face. Hurriedly, Hades made the boy drop his robes as he had forgotten about their affect on others.

"My son, you are strong, but not that strong. My robes breathe death and despair. A mortal's touch could but them at life's end. A half-blood would be greatly weakened. You, however, would experience suffering great and terrible if you held them for too long." Hades said as he watched his son wheeze and cough while color returned to his face, "When you are older, however, my shroud will not affect you any longer, but if you wanted to reach that age, then do not come in contact with them for too long. Am I understood?"

"Y-Yes, father." Harry said, breathing deeply as he clutched at his throat. It was like he couldn't breathe as he held his father's robe. His throat had locked-up on him as he saw many deaths… so _many_ deaths… He had heard the cries of those poor lost souls that went on to agony in the Underworld as they milled around the Fields of Asphodel. He had seen terrible things…

"Here young lad, drink this." a strong voice said over Harry as he looked up weakly, seeing Chiron holding out a glass filled with a golden liquid. With his dry throat, Harry happily took the drink, overjoyed to have something that would quench his thirst.

Hades raised a brow at his son's hasty drinking gulps. He hadn't believe his son would be affected so powerfully by the cloak's horrors, but his eyes widened as he remembered that his son had yet to come into any of his powers. The cloak would surely have shown the boy horrors that his fragile eight year-old couldn't deal with. Though he could not swallow his pride. He would not show any weakness while Zeus was lurking about somewhere in the area. If his brother knew that he cared so deeply for his children, Zeus surely wouldn't hesitate to use them as bargaining chips in a hostage situation. His brother was cunning and arrogant, a dangerous combination Hades admitted. Hecate and Persephone would more than gladly watch over their child and protect the boy from the Ruler of the Skies, but Aphrodite…? Hades couldn't be sure if the Goddess of Beauty would not defer to Zeus over her own child.

Harry happily gulped down the sweet tea that he had only tasted at Mrs. Figg's house. Having drunken half of the glass in a matter of seconds, Harry handed it back to Chiron while getting some deep breathes.

"Feeling better, are we?" the man asked as Harry nodded, standing up as to not to look like wimp, as Dudley reminded him every so often.

"Yes, thank you." Harry said politely with a final nod.

"You gave us quite the scare, lad." Chiron began diplomatically; "When Mr. Heartens and Ms. Derricks brought you over the property line you were barely breathing and badly poisoned." a cold shiver went up Harry and Chiron's spines as their shadows began to wobble. Glancing back, they both saw Hades silently seething in rage, his left eye twitching sporadically.

"Umm… Oh, how rude of me, I haven't introduced myself!" Chiron said, trying to quickly change the subject from injury done to the son of the God of the Dead. Chiron quickly wheeled himself forward, and held out a hand, "I am Chiron, the Activities and Camp Director here at the camp."

Harry nodded to him, smiling shyly as Hades rage ceased. Hades took a deep breath to calm himself as he saw his son shaking hands with Chiron. He couldn't stop himself from smiling somewhat as he watched. His son, going to camp, being treated like any other normal Godly child. It was a wonderful sight he had never seen before for himself…

"Hello, I'm Harry Potter." Harry replied, taking the offered hand and shaking it strongly like his Uncle Vernon hounded him to. If there was one thing the demanding relative had wanted of him, it was for Harry to grow up to be normal, boring, and a man among men.

"Please, walk with me Mr. Potter." Chiron said as he turned around and wheel towards the corner of the farmhouse, though looked back nervously as he had forgotten about the cold presence of the Ruler of the Under in the wake of the boy's own warm and welcoming one, "Umm… you are most welcome to accompany us, Lord Hades."

"I think I will. Thank you, Chiron." Hades said as he placed a hand on his son's shoulder while they followed Chiron.

"Wait!" Harry suddenly called out as he looked around, "Where are my things? My luggage-!"

"They are fine, Harry." Hades said, "They are in my cloak. Alecto brought them to me when I arrived outside of camp. They had, apparently, still been in the crushed car done in by… _Apollo's_ snake guardian, _Python_." Hades said, though sneered out the name of his nephew and the man's snake as he now hated the sun god for causing harm to come to his son.

"Alecto?" Harry echoed in confusion, "You mean Mrs. Dodds?"

"Yes, yes." Hades said quickly as Chiron glanced back, confused as to what they were conversing about.

"Umm… Are Pham and JD okay?" Harry asked in concern before looking up to his father, speaking more quietly, "Is… _Alecto_ okay?"

"They are all fine, I'm sure. Pham was able to keep you alive long enough to get you here because of the nectar that is forever in his chalice, given to him by his father." Chiron said as he smiled back at Harry while Hades nodded.

"Good. They're really good people, and my new friends." Harry said as Hades raised a brow.

"Friends?" Hades echoed incredulously, "You've known them for all of a single day. What friendship-?" Hades, however, stopped what he was saying at seeing the look which overcame Harry's face at the thought that Hades didn't approve of having friends, "I'm sure once you get to know them better, they will be even better friends." Hades quickly amended as Chiron snuck a glance back, smiling at how the normally brooding and angst-ridden God was so endearing toward his young child.

Perhaps Hades wasn't as bad as everyone made him out to be, Chiron thought as he smiled back at the father and son pair.

* * *

As they reached the other side of the large house, Harry suck in a gasp of astonishment while Hades merely smiled with a hand still on his son's shoulder. Chiron grinned as he wheeled himself to the side for Harry to get a better look.

A lush valley stretched out in front of them with a large river about a mile away as a lavish field of strawberries occupied a large corner of the grounds. From their vintage point, Harry could see almost all of the camp! The landscape was dotted with several Greek buildings, an open air pavilion, an amphitheater, an arena. Hell, there was even a volleyball court! Harry glanced off, seeing an archery range, and stables surrounded with winged horses. A lake with several canoes flowed into the camp grounds by way of stream. Next to it was a group of buildings, all of them different colors and placed in a way that shaped into an inverted U-shape from where they stood. Harry guessed that those had to be the cabins.

"It's always like that the first time you see it." a woman's voice said from behind them all as Harry turned, seeing a woman who looked like a young maiden in the prime of her youth wearing a faded sundress, "Oh, my boy's going to camp!"

"Huh?" was all Harry could say before the woman had rushed him, engulfing him in a hug that left him breathless with the love coming from it. He had never felt such love before, so innocent and pure, not even from the time that Hades had hugged him. It was like the woman breathed purity, radiated joy, and exhaled a flowery fragrance filled with love.

"Harry, this is your first mother, Persephone. Persephone, you know our boy." Hades said as Chiron's jaw dropped.

"So the rumors were true…" Chiron mutter aloud as Hades snapped his attention to the man, regarding him coldly.

"What rumors?" Hades demanded as Chiron looked guilty.

"Just some rumors I had heard when we had taken the children to Olympus. A few nymphs and some of the lesser Gods were talking. I overheard them, and they were saying that you had created a child to combat some terror in the Great Britain area. At first, I didn't believe them, but now I see…" Chiron said, finishing as his eyes gazed over Harry's happy smiling face while speaking at length to Persephone.

"He is a precious and somewhat… _unconventional_ child." Hades admitted with a rock-soft look at his son before he unleashed a look of cold fury at Chiron, who tried and failed to suppress a shiver, "You will take good care of him, wouldn't you?"

"But of c-course!" Chiron stammered out quickly as Hades nodded, regaining his more look of vague interest in whatever his wife was talking about with their son.

"… and so when you're done here at camp, you'll come home with us to the Underworld." Persephone explained as Hades flinched as well as Harry. Seeing the two react as they did, Persephone blinked innocently in confusion, "Is something wrong you two?"

"Umm…" Hades began lamely, "Not much, dear. Harry here just had a bad experience with my cloak."

"I told you _not_ to wear this blasted thing!" Persephone raged as he took his cloak in her hand, ripping it from him and setting it a flame. When the flames died, the cloak was gone, but Persephone's temper was not as she glared at Hades, who shrank back, "But _nooo_! You just had to storm up here as the _big bad_ God of the Dead and show people that you weren't _messing around_! Do you know what this thing does to people? It makes them see the souls within the Underworld and sown into it. It makes them hear their cries of anguish as it kills the person touching it. Harry's a little boy! He's probably been scarred for life!"

"I'm okay. Really." Harry insisted, not wanting his parents to fight after he had only just met them. He didn't want anything disturbing his family from being happy, "I'm a big boy."

"See." Hades insisted quickly, gesturing wildly to Harry, "He's a big boy. I'm sure that when he gets to the Underworld, he won't even remember what he experienced from the cloak."

"So says you…" Persephone muttered, crossing her arms before she looked at Harry. Her entire expression softened as she knelt to her son, stroking his hair, "Are you sure you're okay? You can always go to Olympus with-"

But Harry shook his head furiously at seeing the dark scowl that overtook his father's features. If his dad didn't like Olympus, then Harry wouldn't have a high opinion of it either. Besides, the King of said place had already made it known that he was just like his Uncle Vernon; only tolerating him to appease others.

He wondered what his Aunt Petunia really thought of him, though…

* * *

"Mr. Potter, a moment please." Chiron said as he gestured for Harry to stand next to him. Harry did as Chiron pointed to the cabins, "Over there are the twelve cabins of the camp. You shall be guided to the Hermes Cabin until the moment in which Lord Hades, or your mothers… or both, really… Well, until the moment you're claimed, you will be staying with the children of Lord Hermes."

"Why?" Harry asked, turning to his father and one of his mothers, "I thought you already said I was yours."

"That is true, I did." Hades said, nodding, "However, for you to be claimed officially by all rights of we the Gods, sat down by our laws, you must demonstrate abilities which you are to have inherited from me and/or your mothers. Afterward, you can be claimed as my own child or your mothers' should you also show to have their abilities."

"Umm… Okay…" Harry said, not liking all the technical talk about having to prove he was their child. However, having never known his mortal parents before they died, and his Godly ones having come for him, Harry supposed he didn't mind too much.

"Christine, come here for a moment." Chiron called out to a girl who was walking by.

"Hey! You were the girl that fed me earlier!" Harry said, pointing as Hades and Persephone looked on in amusement.

"My Lord, my Lady." the curly brown haired girl, whose name was Christine, said with a quick bow to Hades and his wife, "And what do you mean earlier? That was yesterday, kid."

"Yesterday?" Harry echoed in confusion, "But when I went back to sleep it felt like no time had passed at all. In fact, I still feel sleepy…"

"Well, you did have some seriously bad-" but Christine stopped talking as she saw Hades' eye twitch and Chiron silently pleading for her to shut up, "I'm glad you're okay. Have fun here at camp."

"The reason I called you over, Christine, is to formally introduce you to Mr. Harry Potter here. He is going to be a new camper. With that said, I'd like it if you could get the cabin leaders together and organize a game of Capture the Flag tomorrow."

"Alright, sir." Christine said, bowing to Chiron, then to Hades and Persephone before being off with a small wave to Harry.

"Now then, shall we take a tour of the camp?" Chiron asked as Harry nodded anxiously.

"I think that would be lovely." Persephone said while Hades presented her his arm, which she took and entwined her own to his.

"Now then, Mr. Potter, you'll find that many of the myths and legends you've heard about the Greek Gods are true." Chiron began as Harry nodded.

"I think my parents here are proof of that." Harry joked shyly. Chiron's deep chuckles and the girlish giggles of his mother Persephone made Harry smile as he glanced up to his father, only to see the God smirking at his son's wit.

"Yes, quite right." Chiron agreed, "You see, the pantheon of deities has moved from location to location with western civilization; which is now centered in the United States of America. This camp trains Half-Bloods. Do you know what a Half-blood is, young Mr. Potter?"

"I guess it would mean a kid made from a god and a mortal." Harry said as Hades ruffled his hair.

"That is correct." Chiron said, already enjoying having such an attentive young mind to join the camp. The Athena children would always talk over him, or roll their eyes as they figured things out for themselves. And while Chiron greatly enjoyed training heroes for battle, it was the intelligential side of teaching that he enjoyed far greater. Too bad all the kids wanted to do now-a-days was punch stuff or slice things in half with their swords…

* * *

As Chiron began to show Harry around camp, Harry immediately knew that he what his dad had told him was true about being… "different" even at the camp. Especially when one of the campers pointed at him and announced, "That's him! With Chiron and those two people."

Harry found that he could not hide as he wanted to. Hades gave him a stern look and pushed him forward. Harry was made to walk between the open space between Chiron's wheeling chair and his own parents. Harry glanced back to see the major amount of space between him and his Godly parents, who seemed to be moving at a more leisurely pace now that campers, satyrs, and nymphs alike were whispering about him. Harry saw the wide-eyes of campers and satyrs as they looked up from their tending of strawberries fields. Chiron explained to him that strawberries were grown and exported to several New York restaurants, which paid the bills for the camp.

"Nymph magic helps us to grow the berries quickly, but Lord Dionysus sometimes answers our prayers." Chiron said as they moved toward the forest, at which Hades scowled and Persephone looked bubbly, though she seemed to have that look when they were gazing over the strawberries as well, Harry noted.

"The forest here is stocked if you care to try your luck, but go armed for your own protection." Chiron informed Harry asked Harry blinked.

"Stocked with what, Mr. Chiron?" Harry queried as Chiron glanced back at the forest before he grinned at Harry, a twinkle in his eyes. Hades scowl only grew deeper while Persephone giggled.

"You'll find out during Capture the Flag tomorrow, which just so happens to be Friday. Tell me, Mr. Potter, do you have your own sword and shield?" Chiron asked as Harry shook his head in the negative. When he did, Chiron glanced up at Hades, who was about to open his mouth, but at the elbow to the ribs dealt to him by his wife, he wisely shut up, sighed, and shrugged before he shook his head.

"Well then, I'll simply have to check the armory. A boy's size three should fit you just right." Chiron muttered with a nod to his thinking while eyeing Harry's very small and skinny form, "Tell, how old did you say you were?"

"I'm eight, sir." Harry answered as Chiron's eyes widened.

"Oh this is not good!" Chiron declared with a shake of his head, "You're much too small for eight. I'd have thought you are five, or six years-old. You'll have to eat more than you have in the past. Much more. Double helpings."

Harry only lowered his head as he remembered that he had never eaten double anything a day in his life. In fact, he normally only ate whatever was leftover from his own cooking.

"I'll have my mother bless his meals with nourishment for encouraged growth. And I shall as well." Persephone assured as Chiron nodded to her, bowing in his chair.

"Now then, this way we have the cabins as you saw from the Big House." Chiron said, wheeling himself through the uneven grassy grounds as they made their way toward the cabins, which were numbered from one to twelve and arranged in an inverted U-shape near the lake.

Chiron guided Harry and his Godly parents past many of the cabins, naming them and their Godly patron as he did. Top off the list was Zeus, which Hades scowled at and the frown stayed firmly on his face as Chiron went down the list. Though Harry did note that at some names (like Poseidon, Artemis, Dionysus, and Athena) the frown lessened, if only a bit. Though at other names (like Hermes, Ares, and _especially_ at Demeter and Aphrodite) the scowl deepened almost as much as it had at Zeus. Harry had to wonder what his father's family had done to him to make seem so estranged and frigid with them.

"Now, here at Cabin Eleven, Lord Hermes has an Acceptance Policy." Chiron began as Harry looked to him, "It states that any undetermined camper can stay inside of his cabin with his children."

"So…" Harry began, his brows furrowing in thought while the others watched him in interest, "Kids whose parents haven't claimed them, or whose parents doesn't have a cabin at the camp stay in there." Harry said, pointing to the run-down looking cabin. The dull brown paint was either chipping off in one spot or peeling in another on the cabin.

"Yes, that is correct." Chiron said, his brow rose, "Tell me, how did you come to that conclusion? I didn't say much about the policy."

"It's just that, I know who my dad and two of my moms are." Harry began, "Yet, I don't see any cabins to them and you didn't say anything about them having ones. Even though I know who my dad is, I'm still coming here until I'm claimed. That means that those who haven't yet been claimed would come here. Also, because I know there are a lot more than twelve Gods and Goddesses, which would mean that Hermes accepts kids that don't have a cabin, too."

"That is very good deductive thinking, young lad." Chiron said, patting Harry's shoulder, "You have a keen mind, be sure to use it often in the future. Those here aside from Lady Athena's children, sometimes forget that in light of a sharpened sword."

"I will, Mr. Chiron." Harry said, nodding excitedly.

"I've trained heroes for the last 3000 years, so I should know how depressing it is to see the most useful muscle a hero has gone to waste." Chiron said, smiling as he nodded back.

Harry, glancing to the side, he saw a nasty looking boy giving him an equally nasty look from inside the doorway of Cabin Five. He was about to say something when the boy scoffed at him, and walked completely into his cabin, shutting the door. Looking back at his parents, he saw that his father and mother were off to the side, having a quick and shushed conversion in an ancient language Harry didn't readily understand. He caught snippets of it, little words that made no real sense when he put them to thought, but shrugged.

* * *

"Dionysus!" a voice roared, thundering and booming as storm clouds began to gather overhead, bringing thunder and lightning with them in abundance.

"Crap!" another voice yelled, before a particularly girlish yelp rang out as well.

"That fool is in trouble once more." Hades sighed as Persephone shook her head.

"What's going on?" Harry asked, scared from the way the skies darkened like they had earlier.

"Your cousin is in trouble." Persephone said as Chiron sighed.

"He's gone after her again in boredom… He never learns…" Chiron said, shaking his head sadly.

"What do you mean?" Harry asked, but no one answered him.

No one answered him because a man, who looked as though he threw one hell of a party, raced toward the cabins. Running past them, he stopped suddenly, and then with wide eyes locked on Hades and Persephone, he raced back and practically flung himself at their feet. Harry's eyebrows shot to his hairline as he saw the man.

The guy had a chubby face, a red nose, and curly hair so black that Harry nearly mistook it for purple. His eyes were watery, blue, bloodshot eyes from what looked to be drinking. He wore a tiger-striped Hawaiian shirt and purple running shoes. To Harry, the man looked like he grew up in a rough house, as even Harry could see that the man was no stranger to adult drinks just by looking at him.

"Oh, loving, generous, gracious, and unfailing Uncle!" the man cried, grabbing the hems of Hades' robes, "Please, defend me! Have mercy, and hide a poor soul who knows not what he has done!"

"Good morning to you as well, Dionysus." Hades said calmly, staring down at the God of Wine, "What brings you groveling before me this time? Hmm?"

"I was just so bored, Uncle!" Dionysus cried out, standing as he did, "My dear Ariadne has spurned my affection as of late, and I was growing tired of waiting for her. The reason for that was because we had a fight about my drinking habits. Well, after this last straw I left Olympus to drown my sorrows in a party or two… as well as a few drinks…"

Hades only rolled his eyes while Persephone looked down upon her half-brother with an irate look. She did like infidelity. Not one bit.

"Go on." Hades said, sighing as Dionysus looked hopeful.

"Yes, thank you, Uncle!" Dionysus said, bowing quickly before he jumped back into his tale, "Well, this one party was particularly close to this little camp here, and as you might know I don't do well drinking under the influence. So, I slept in my cabin last night."

"I thought I was sensing you." Hades said, "Zeus' dramatics only helped to confirm my suspicions." Hades finished as Harry looked up, seeing the thunderstorm coming toward them from over the horizon near the forest and strawberry fields.

"Please Uncle, intervene." Dionysus pleaded as Hades only made a gesture for him to continue his tale, "Well, I was still feeling a bit disheartened by my wife's accusations against me and my domain… as well as her rejection of our bed… So, I went to seek out into the forest for some nymphs and satyrs to drink with me and comfort me in my sorrows. That's when I saw… _her_."

Hades and Persephone both rolled their eyes at the infatuated tone Dionysus took while Harry looked confused as he stood off to the side with Chiron, who sighed and shook his head again.

"She's not like the other nymphs. She's _never_ been like the other nymphs. She was so compassionate and caring toward me and my martial problems. She talked with me, laughed with me, and cheered me up as I drunk happily." Dionysus said as he shook his head free of his blissful remembrance when thunder rumbled overhead, "Then one thing led to another, and before anything could get truly started, my father burst onto the scene saying that he was looking for me. He caught me red-handed and his "favorite nymph" red-faced and panting, and well… You've gotta help me!"

"And why should I, nephew?" Hades asked, raising his brow causally as though the man had been speaking about the weather the entire time.

"I'll do anything!" Dionysus said as Persephone frowned at him.

"I remember you saying that exact same thing when you were begging my husband here to grant Ariadne and your mother Seleme their immortality." Persephone said, her tone like a chilling wind blowing over a field of spring flowers.

"Oh come on, baby sister." Dionysus pleaded as Persephone turned from him.

"Tell me, what would you give me in return for saving you from my baby brother's wrath?" Hades asked, his brow still raised.

"Anything, you name it!" Dionysus said quickly, knowing that he would be toast if he didn't have another God on his side, "I already owe you three favors. Just add this one to the list!"

"You will watch over my son here, Harry." Hades said gesturing to Harry, who blinked as Dionysus appeared at his side, practically bowing, "You will treat him fairly. You will guide him when others cannot. Is this understood?"

"Deal." Dionysus said, shaking Harry's hand as their joined limbs glowed briefly.

"Good, because the only way for you to remain alive is with what I have planned." Hades said, turning back around while seeing his fuming brother stomping toward them as the clouds advanced menacing above him.

"Hades, stand aside!" Zeus thundered as Hades didn't even seem fazed.

"You know, you always were the one with temper problems out of the three of us." Hades commented casually to the irate King of the Gods.

"Move aside, brother, or face my wrath yourself." Zeus said, his eyes flashing as lightning seemed to emanate from them.

Hades narrowed his eyes, raising his head as his younger brother got within his personal space. Hade's cocked his head back coolly, raising it so slightly to look at his brother from down his nose, "I'd like to see that, brother."

"Persephone, move your husband!" Zeus snapped, knowing that when Hades was being stubborn no one but his daughter could sway her husband.

"As much as Dionysus needs a good zapping." Persephone said, "This is none of my business."

"Now calm yourself, brother." Hades said calmly, resting a hand on Zeus' shoulder. Zeus glared, but seemed to take deep breaths to calm himself anyway, "What seems to be the matter?"

"That insolent little upstart was caught red-handed with my claimed nymph!" Zeus shouted, sounding almost like a child Harry's age telling his older brother about some boy liking a girl he himself had a crush on, "I have told the boy that she was off-limits times before this! He doesn't listen! He needs to be-!"

"Punished?" Hades finished as he took his hand from Zeus' shoulder and stood beside his brother as they both gazed at the shaking Dionysus, "Then, by all means, punish him."

Zeus raised his hand, which crackled with electricity. Just as Dionysus let out a whimper, Hades chuckled as he caught his brother's arm.

"Not like that, brother." Hades chided in amusement, "As Lord of the Underworld and judger of the dead, I have learned many things. One of them is that corporal punishment does no good when trying to teach a lesson of this… sensitivity."

"Then what do you suggest, Hades?" Zeus asked in irritation as he just wanted to blow that hopeful look off his stupid son's face.

"A punish of the mind." Hades replied with a wicked grin that sent shivers up everyone's spine, "Beat a boy, he'll cry for a day. Punish him, and he'll groan about it for months."

"Crying is good." Zeus said, raising his hand again, "I like it when disrespectful brats cry."

"You're missing the point, Zeus." Hades said mildly as Zeus sighed and rolled his eyes, "Take away what he loves. Make him truly regret having touched the girl."

"Hmm…" Zeus hummed, thinking it over, "Yes, that does seem cruel and unusual punishment. I like it! I still recall the days when mother took away my lightning bolts for misbehavior. Yes! This will do."

"Then it's settled." Hades said with a clap of his hands, "Dionysus is not allowed a drink for the next 100 years."

"What?" Dionysus cried, actually crying tears as well, "No drinking!"

"Not good enough for you, then?" Zeus said, chuckling darkly as the clouds darkened the sky above, giving the Ruler of the Skies an ominous look, "Fine then. More."

"Wait, no! I didn't mean-!"

But Dionysus' words died in his throat as Zeus began to shimmer with electricity, glowing a sky blue color as he rose a few feet from the ground and hovered in place.

"**Dionysus! God of Wine, Vegetation, Theater, and Madness! I, Zeus, King of Olympus, Lord of the Sky, and God of Justice, Hospitality, Honor, and Lightning, hereby declare that you are now placed in charge of Camp Half-Blood for 100 years! In that time, you are never to touch wine! So declare I, Lord Zeus as King of the Gods**!" Zeus boomed, destroying windows and making lightning flash in the background as wind raged.

Harry watched on it shock at the power of his uncle. He glanced over to his father, who didn't seem at all impressed as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. Looking to his cousin, Dionysus, Harry saw that the man looked almost as though he were debating suicide after Zeus' declaration.

Soon after he was done, Zeus descended back down to the ground as campers, nymphs, and satyrs all looked frightened out of their minds, hiding behind anything they could while the King of Olympus was still around.

"Was that good, brother?" Zeus asked as his eyes stopped glowing a milky white as Hades looked up from inspecting his robes, as though he hadn't been paying attention at all.

"Hmm? Oh yes, perfect, brother. You've still got it." Hades said, before rolling his eyes and muttering, "Yes, you're still and forever shall be a pompous windbag…"

"Ha! Still got it!" Zeus said, pumping a fist into the air, before realizing how silly it seemed to be for him to be acting so goofy in his formal suit. Clearing his throat, Zeus assumed a more dignified stance, "Well, I think that's enough excite for today."

"Umm… Yes, Lord Zeus is right." Chiron said turning to Harry, "Lord Zeus, have you met young Mr. Potter here? I see great things in his future."

Zeus' look of embarrassment faded quickly as he cast a stormy look at Harry, glancing over the boy as though he were a disobedient dog, "Not personally, no. However, Chiron, great things are not always good nor kind."

And with that, Zeus didn't speak anymore as he took Dionysus by the ear, giving Harry one last look, though this one near impassive. Zeus gave a brief nod to Hades and Persephone before sweeping away with Dionysus being dragged along by the ear.

* * *

"Yes, well…" Chiron began, clapping his hands, "Oh, look at the time! I have an archery lesson to teach!" Chiron said before whistling to someone.

It was the same girl as before, Christine, who came over and bowed once more to Harry's parents and then waved at him, "You wanted me, Chiron?"

"Yes, could you introduce Mr. Potter here to his temporary cabin mates in Cabin Eleven?"

"Sure thing, Chiron." the girl answered as she smiled at Harry.

"I have… some things to do." Hades said as Persephone giggled, "We'll see you later, son."

"Alright. Bye." Harry said, a little sad to see his parents go, but glad to know that he actually had parents! And they were Gods, none the less!

Christine guided Harry in front of Cabin Eleven, gesturing to it as Harry nearly rolled his eyes. In his opinion, it wouldn't have taken a genius to figure out whose cabin it was with that… _thing_ (Harry didn't know that name of it) hanging over the door. He had only ever since it with one God from pictures in the story books at his school.

"Cabin Eleven, meet Harry Potter." Christine announced as someone looked up, smiling while the others seemed to only hold their breath for some reason.

"Regular or Undetermined?" the person who had been smiling asked as Christine smiled brightly.

"Undetermined!" the girl chirped happily as Harry was having a hard time seeing through all the moving people to get a clear look at the smiling person. The cabin was packed full of campers from wall to wall. There were campers sleeping in sleeping bags on the floor, the cabin was so overflowing.

The campers groaned collectively, but an older boy settled them down.

"Hey, Harry! This is Cabin Eleven, the Hermes Cabin, and I'm your host; Martin Fisher!" the boy, who had been smiling from the back of the cabin, said as he moved forward and excitedly shook Harry's hand.

"He's Martin. He's a bit of a game show junkie." Christine warned as she jabbed her thumb toward the boy, "Watch out for him. He'll comment on everything you do, and every time you fail at something, it'll be like you lost the World Cup."

"Ms. Bates! How good it is to see you again!" Martin said excitedly, holding his hand to his mouth as if he had a microphone, "Tell me, how is your relationship going with Samson? Are you two still on the rocks, or has your ship been swept up by a new wave of love, or maybe it's been swept out to sea and bound to perish."

Christine's cheeks turned pick as she threw a punch at Martin, but he dodged as she growled at him.

"Shut up! We're over, thank you very much!" Christine admitted, "Though we're still friends."

"Ow!" Martin said, clutching his heart, "Mr. Samson Hicks has been friend-zoned, folks! Things are not looking good for the son of Ares!"

"Argh!" Christine roared as she stomped her foot before grabbing Harry by the back of his shirt collar and dragging him away, "Come on, Harry. Let's go."

"Huh?" Harry said in confusion as to why he was being dragged away.

"And now, folks, it seems that the new kid on the block, Mr. Harry Potter, has snagged the Half-Blood Heart-Beaker up all for himself! Will his chances at winning her heart be any better than Samson's, or will Harry-"

But Harry didn't get to hear the rest of the commentary as Christine slammed the door in Martin's face, literally.

* * *

The girl dragged Harry all the way to the volleyball court, where she let him go and promptly stomped over to the far side where the tetherball became her victim of stress/anger release. Harry walked over to the older girl, and began to play with her, even though she was double his height.

"Come on, Potter!" Christine laughed, "You gotta do better than that!"

"I'm trying, but you're tall!" Harry whined as Christine laughed at him and his height issues.

"You'll get taller someday. You're still just a kid, so a growth spurt is bound to happen." the curly haired girl said as Harry nodded.

"Umm…" Harry began, but didn't know a right way to put his thoughts into words. Christine must have picked up on it, as she smiled at him while stopping the ball.

"I'm Christine Catron, but some of my sisters call me C.C." Christine said as Harry blinked.

"Sisters?" Harry echoed as she nodded.

"Yeah, I'm a daughter of Aphrodite. There are four of us." Christine said, "We live in Cabin Ten."

"Oh."

"Though I'm sure that's nothing to you, kid." Christine said teasingly, "Words already spread like wildfire."

"Word about what?" Harry asked.

"You killing Apollo's Python! Many campers would kill for that chance, though I think Apollo's kids are a little miffed at you, as well as Ares' own." Christine declared as Harry blinked in confusion.

"Wait, why are Ares' kids mad?" Harry asked as Christine chuckled.

"Ares' boar was killed trying to stop from coming here, too. Though everyone says that was done by another monster trying to eat you." Christine said with a shrug, "But you know kids of a war god; they'll take anything to start a war, or at least a little animosity."

"Yeah… I guess so…" Harry said, looking at his shoes.

"Hey, cheer up!" Christine said brightly, "You did what you had to; what you were meant to. It's what you'll be training for while you're here." she said as Harry sighed. He had hated that damn snake for attacking him and his friends, but the boar… He hadn't thought anything about the boar that Mrs. Dodds had been fighting. In fact, he barely recalled it, and didn't remember seeing it again when Mrs. Dodds had come over to help him.

Had she… Had _she_ killed Ares' boar?

"Though I'm sure Apollo's kids will get over it as they wax poetically about the snake until their dad gets it back. They're really nice, most of them."

"Wait, what do you mean? I killed it. You said so yourself." Harry said, getting really confused.

"Okay, here's the thing. Monsters don't die, Harry. They don't have souls, like you and me. So, you can kill them for a while, maybe even a whole lifetime if you're really lucky, but they'll eventually reform somewhere. It has something to do with them being primal forces, or whatever. I had gotten bored with the lecture, and started doing my nails." Christine said as Harry laughed despite himself. The curly-haired girl smiled at seeing him laugh; glad she had made him happy once more.

From there the pair's conversation turned to traits common among half bloods like Dyslexia and ADHD.

"I don't have those, I think." Harry confessed as Christine looked surprised, but mostly shrugged it off.

"That's okay. Some people don't have one or the other, and some people don't really have them as badly as others. They're like these traits that help keep you alive on the battlefield, or something. Maybe you don't need them, or something."

"Maybe not…" Harry said quietly, marking it down as another thing that would make him different among the campers.

"Come on; let's get you settled into your place with the Fly Boys." Christine said as she took Harry's hand with him looking at her in flushed confusion; both from the comment and the action.

"Fly Boys?" Harry repeated in confusion as Christine rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, ya know. Hermes' winged shoes. Fly Boys… Makes sense, huh?"

"I guess so…" Harry said, a small smirk on his face, "But why are you being so nice to me? We don't really know each other."

"Yeah, I guess not." Christine said as she smiled none the less, "But I don't know. I just feel like… I don't know, there's something special about you. Like we're connected somehow. Ya know?"

"Not really…" Harry admitted, though he smiled up at her, "But I like actually having friends."

"You don't have friends?"

"Not really." Harry admitted, looking to the ground, "I got some new ones who helped me here."

"Well now you've got me, too." Christine said, turning around and touching his nose, "And big sis C.C ain't goin' nowhere."

"Thanks."

"No problem. I have a good feeling about you, Harry. And as long as I've been here, I've learned to trust my feelings." Christine admitted as Harry couldn't stop the bright smile that spread across his face.

And as they walked back to the Hermes cabin, Harry saw that Martin and a pair of twins were waiting with the door wide open ready to greet him. Harry felt a warm feeling spread through the pit of his stomach, and his cheeks were starting to hurt from smiling for so long. It had been such a long time since he had much to smile about. But then, an odd thought occurred to him.

Was this what it felt like? To have a home?

"Glad to see ya back, Harry!" Martin greeted happily with his arms around the twins' shoulders, "Boy do we have big things in store for you!"

And it was with that greeting that Harry knew the answer to his question, especially when he looked back and saw his father and mother Persephone smiling at him from where they were talking to Chiron.

Yeah, he had found himself a home…


	4. Campers Spider Getting Kidnapped

**A/N: The year is 1989 as Harry is going to turn 9 years-old. That means that Luke is 2 years-old, and Thalia is to be born in seven months (as it's June right now in this story). I have recently been able to find more birthdates after more research. Here they are:**

**Harry Potter: July 31, 1980 (9 years-old)**

**Percy Jackson: August 18, 1993**

**Annabeth Chase: October 19, 1994**

**Luke Castellan: ? 1987 (if you know his birth date, please tell me) (2 years-old)**

**Thalia Grace: December 22, 1989**

**Nico di Angelo: January 28, 1914 ( still 9 years-old; due to be in the Lotus Casino)**

**Grover Underwood: June 5, 1976 (13 years-old)**

**Well, that's all I have so far (all the one that truly matter, at least). If you have any other information that you feel is necessary to the story, then please submit it in either REVIEW or PM.**

**Also, this chapter's title might be a bit of a stretch to understand, so I'll explain. Spider = Spied Her. Hope that helps some people understand the pun of the chapter. Like how the previous ones were, Sun = Son, and Farther = Father. **

**Now on with the show!**

**Chapter 4: Campers Spider Getting Kidnapped**

* * *

"Whoa…"

"Do you see this?"

"Are _you_ seeing this?"

"This _can't_ be real…"

"Impossible… Just… _Impossible_!"

"Man, _no_ _wonder_ Lord Zeus was pissed yesterday…"

"Did you hear the thunder last night, though?"

"Thunder? I was more worried about the _earthquakes_!"

"Hey, those helped me sleep!"

"Yeah, but not me. At least Lord Poseidon stopped those two from declaring war over this."

"Yeah, but do you _see_ this? Dude's pretty gettin' bold lately."

"So what? He's a God! Besides, he deserves it. Lady Hera has one when no one's ever gonna use it!"

"Yeah, true… But _you're_ only saying that because you're into the dark and brooding types."

"Shut up, Castor!"

"No, you shut up!"

These were only some of the noises that Harry woke up to as he picked his head up from his sleeping bag. All throughout the cabin children and teens of all the camp were conversing as the door was wide open, allowing the sun's rays into the cabin.

"Harry, 'bout time you were up." a voice said.

"Yeah, we were worried that you'd died." another voice, almost exactly the same as the first said, "You don't make a peep or even move in your sleep. Like a vampire, or something."

"And what with you not waking up during the thunderstorm." the first said.

"Or even the earthquakes…" the second commented.

"Jester, Pester! Leave the kid alone!" another voice barked out as the two voices sniggered.

"Aye, aye, Captain Mike!" the two voice said in unison. Harry groaned softly as he finally opened his eyes two see a pair of twins standing over him while saluting someone.

"Potter, get up!" the voice from before snapped as Harry blinked his eyes, slowly rising from his sleeping bag.

As he fumbled around, looking for his glasses, his vision suddenly cleared up once again like the day before. Still, Harry took up his glasses, as he liked them, and put them on. His sight was blurred terribly for a second, but then went back to perfection as he adjusted the glasses. They were a comfortable and pleasant weight on his face, and he had felt so awkward and unbalanced without them yesterday.

"You wear glasses, Potter?" the stern voice that had barked out orders asked, "Your vision shouldn't be impaired."

Harry turned toward the side of the cabin and saw who was speaking. It was Mike Kayon, a son of Nemesis the Goddess of Vengeance, as Harry was told. Martin and the others in Cabin Eleven had always told him the guy was a bit intense and even sometimes cruel. From what Harry had learned of him during the introductions, Mike seemed to be a rather stern person, and though a little high-struck, was a good person. Mike had glossy black hair and stern dark eyes. He was tall, and had a lean build.

"Yeah, but I like my glasses." Harry admitted, "I've had them my whole life."

"Tsk. Whatever." Mike said, "Just get dressed, kid. We all saw you hanging out with Lord Hades and Lady Persephone yesterday, so there might be something you might wanna see outside."

"Yeah, Harry!" one of the twins chirped, grinning.

"It's _definitely_ gonna be on the top of your list of things to see." the other twins said, smirking much like his brother.

Ah, there were the twins; Jester and Pester Roads. The twins had sandy brown hair and sly grins. Their blue eyes held much mischief in them. They were said to be the reigning pranksters of the entire camp. Filling pillows with shaving cream, stuffing ice cubes into beds so people think they peed themselves, taking undergarments and using them as flags of surrender, or even taking dairies and somehow making copies for everyone to find in the Dining Pavilion.

"Indeed, Harry Potter!" Martin's voice sounded from where he was pulling on his orange camp shirt, "It seems that you've won the Grand Prize!"

"Huh?" Harry said in confusion while he put on some jeans.

Martin Fisher, the game show addict of Camp Half-Blood. He had brow hair and grass green eyes. The guy was a good enough person, but he was just a bit too cheerful and smiled too much to be normal. Though Harry didn't care about that, as he liked Martin's antics. They were a bit funny. But, as the Roads twins and even Mike warned, Harry was never to get on Martin's bad side or get him angry. Apparently, it might have taken a lot to get Martin mad, but went he blew his top, he was freighting to behold. At least, that was what the Hermes cabin had warned Harry of while Martin only chuckled and dismissed the thought.

"Just get dressed, kid." Mike said sternly, "You'll see when we get out there."

* * *

And see Harry did, as his eyes widened to the size of dinner plates.

"What the…?" was all that could escape Harry's mouth as he gazed upon the sight before him.

Standing tall and impressive, if not a little intimidating, before Harry was a large cabin built from really dark and really thick looking stone. There was a dark skull was mounted over the door. The cabin also had two torches burning on both sides of the cabin entrance. The torches burned green flames that did not seem natural at all.

"Ooh! Greek fire!" Jester pointed out as Harry had no clue how he was telling the two twins apart, "You gotta admit, Lord Hades has style."

"That he does, oh brother of mine." Pester agreed with a nod, "The obsidian walls are a nice touch. They're probably tougher than normal obsidian is, too, if he used them for the walls."

"But the Greek fire torches are best." Mike said, frowning at them, "Normally it's very dangerous, so it's not allowed at camp. But, Chiron can't take it away from a God's cabin as it's a gift to his children… or child, as is." Mike said, casting a glance at a still shocked and surprised Harry, "It can be used to make bombs, burns underwater, and is second to none. It burns with heat near that of the sun."

"And the Hephaestus cabin would be more than happy to have a sample of it…" a voice behind them all said as they turned to see a rather timid looking giant of a boy, "Th-That is… if Harry Potter is willing to give it."

"He can't just yet, Jim." Martin said, a hand to his mouth as though he were holding a microphone, "He still needs to prove himself a son of the Richest of all Olympians in order to win this beauty." Martin finished, gesturing to the intimidating cabin.

Harry said nothing, barely paying attention to those around him, as he gazed up at the near-haunted looking cabin that he would be staying in alone should he prove himself his father's son.

The problem was… would he be able to? And if he did… would he be made as dark as the cabin before him?

* * *

"Harry!" Christine said as she wrapped her arms around him in a big hug, "I see you've found your dad's little gift, huh?"

"Yeah…" Harry said, glancing back at the plainly visible Cabin Thirteen. Even from where they were, walking to go eat breakfast with Harry's cabin… for now.

"It's a great one." Christine said, nudging him, "It's just like Lord Hades, ya know? All dark and intimidating, but really nice once you learn to appreciate the inner beauty, or in this case, outer beauty."

"I suppose…" Harry muttered. He did think the cabin was cool, but why did it have to seem so… creepy? His dad wasn't creepy, at least not to him, but the cabin…

"Yo, Gus!" Mike called out from behind Harry, "Come here!"

"What's up?" a guy asked as he rushed over. The guy had brown hair and grey eyes while the same mischievous smile that the twins played on his face. Harry had noticed that all the Hermes' kids had that sneaky smile, upturned eyebrows, and sharp noses.

He wondered if those were all just common traits they acquired from their father… Probably so…

"You met Harry last night, right?" Mike asked as Gus nodded, reaching out a hand as Harry took hold of it and they shook, "Well, you and Christine can help him get step up later for Capture the Flag."

"Cool with me, bro." Gus said as Mike gave him a look while crossing his arms.

"You've been reading those surfer magazines from the Apollo cabin again, haven't you?" Mike asked, his frown deepening when Gus chuckled and rubbed at the back of his neck in guilt.

"Guilty as charged." Gus said as Mike suddenly smiled. It was a bit creepy, and made Harry even more wary when Christine, Gus, and Martin all paled collectively.

"Don't worry." Mike said, still smiling, "All guilty parties get their just desserts. I should know as the son of the Goddess of Karma."

"Ya know, you scare me sometimes, man…" Gus said, swinging an arm over Mike's shoulder.

"Good." Mike muttered, though his smile changed in nature. It was genuine and sweet.

"Now onto the food!" Martin shouted, pointing toward the Dining Pavilion.

* * *

The pavilion was framed in Greek columns on a hill that overlooked the sea, or at least that was what Harry had been told by Mike. There were no walls, or a roof that cover the mess hall. Torches blazed from the columns and a central fire burned inside a bronze brazier the size of a bathtub. Each table had a white cloth with purple trim.

Green girls with leaves in their hair, or as Gus corrected him; wood nymphs, served them breakfast. It was a portion of apples, strawberries, grapes, cheese, eggs, sausage, and pancakes topped with syrup. Harry had to admit, it was more of a breakfast he had ever eaten at the Dursleys.

However, as they received their breakfast, Harry took notice of how the other kids around were all walking up to a fire in the middle of the pavilion, table by table. He was a bit surprised and confused when he saw how they had taken some of their food, and thrown it into the flames while muttering things.

"What are the doing?" Harry whispered to those that sat at the Hermes' cabin table.

"They are making offerings to the Gods, mostly just to their parents." Martin said, his voice and the look on his face serious.

"When it's your turn, be sure to offer some of it to them all in general." Jester said as Pester nodded across from him.

"Especially to your dad and ours." Pester finished as Gus elbowed him in the ribs, "Ow! What?"

"Be quiet, dimwit." Gus whispered harshly before turning to Harry, "Offerings to your own dad are cool. You can offer them to any God and/or Goddess you want. They like the smell. Weird I know, but hey; they're Gods, they ain't normal to begin with."

Harry nodded while he thought, his eyes wandering as he did.

"Harry, are you listening?" Gus asked as Harry snapped out of his stupor.

"Sorry…" Harry muttered as Gus shrugged.

"It's okay. You're new, and it's all so different and exciting, huh?" Gus said as Harry nodded.

"That's just what I was thinking." Harry admitted, "It's really _really_ different. Should I go up and make offerings now?" Harry asked as he saw a few of the people from their table go to make offerings.

"It's breakfast, so you don't _have_ _to_ do it right now. We were just telling you for dinner tonight. That's when you _absolutely_ _have_ _to_ make your offerings. The only reason the pit is lit now is because we have new campers. You and a few others from the day you were unconscious." Mike said, his hands folded in front of his face.

Harry nodded, resolving to make his offerings then, just in case he messed up and offended someone. Harry had already learned just how petty and easily offended some of them could get. He had heard the stories, and meeting Zeus and Dionysus didn't much help.

Harry looked down at his clothes, noticing how the rest of his cabin wore similar hand-me-down clothes which were nearly in rags. However, the other campers didn't seem to notice this. For that, Harry was glad. Back on Privet Drive, Dudley's friends had always taunted and teased him for where his cousin's cast-away clothes. Harry began eating, looking around at the other tables, seeing that some were full (like Apollo, Ares, Hephaestus, Aphrodite, and Athena) while others were all but empty (like Demeter and Dionysus), and some table were _actually_ empty; like Zeus, Hera, Poseidon, and Artemis.

"Checking out the competition, aye Harry?" Martin asked, as he slung an arm around Harry's shoulder.

"Huh?" Harry said in confusion. They were at a summer camp, it wasn't really that much of a competition… was it?

"Leave him alone." Mike barked, "He's just looking around. I remember when I did it some years back."

"Yeah, man." Pester said, "Remember when we saw Zeus' table empty for the first time?"

"Oh yeah!" Jester exclaimed, "That was a shocker. Especially with all those tales of how the big guy would woo ladies left and right."

"Creating many wonderful hero babies." Pester finished, him and his brother's grins growing.

Before Harry could further the conversation, the sound of metal for clanking silence met his ears. Looking to where the sound had come from, Harry saw Chiron in his wheelchair at the staff table with a rather gloom looking guy. It was only when he saw blood-shot eyes did Harry realize the man beside Chiron was Dionysus, the God of Wine, who had been punished by Zeus yesterday.

"Okay campers, we have a few morning announcements to make." Chiron said gazing around before he gestured to Dionysus, "I would like you all to welcome Mr. D to our lovely camp. He will be the new camp director for the next hundred years while I shall only hold the job of activities director."

The camp exploded into cheers and whistles as the grumpy looking Dionysus held his head.

"Be quiet!" Dionysus shouted, his voice loud and echoing as the pavilion silenced in record time, "Loud mouthed brats… I am Lord Dionysus, God of Wine. You shall address me as Mr. D while I am here, and you shall behave."

His demands were met with silence as he glanced around, looking over everyone before his eyes landed on Harry, giving the young boy a critical look before he sighed, and let his head meet the table with a thump.

"Thank you for that, Mr. D. Now then, onto our newest campers… or should I say, camper." Chiron said, gesturing to Harry, "His name is Harry Potter, an unclaimed member of Hermes cabin."

There were a few nods around the place as they saw Harry, but seeing that was the end of Chiron's announcements, people returned to their eating their breakfast in peace while Dionysus muttered under his breath. Harry looked around, catching a few appraising looks, but it seemed that overall, nobody was worried about him.

"You haven't touched your breakfast." Martin observed seriously, "Eat. You're too small to say you're eight years-old."

"He's eight!" Gus exclaimed, "I thought he was like six, maybe even five. But eight!"

"Yes, eight." Mike said, shaking his head with a frown before giving Harry a pointed look, "Eat… and fill your goblet. You haven't even touched it."

"Yeah, man." Jester said, grinning as he and his twin always did, "The pavilion's goblets are enchanted, so all you have to do is say whatever drink you want, and they'll be filled with it. It's awesome!"

"Yeah." Pester answered, "The very best part is that they never run out. Meaning no need for refills when the goblets never empty."

The twins slapped each other high-fives as Harry looked down at the golden metal cup.

"Uhh… Water…" Harry probed, and to his amazement, the cup was instantly filled with the clear liquid. Harry gave it an experimental taste, and found it quite refreshing. It must have been some of that fancy mineral water stuff his aunt had always talked about.

"Give me that." Gus said, shaking his head as he snatched Harry's goblet, "We tell you anything. Anything to drink, and you pick water?"

"I don't know a lot of drinks… All I know is water, sweet tea, and milk…" Harry admitted as Gus grinned.

"What about juices? None of those?" martin asked, his cheery persona gone in the face of the topic.

"I've never really been allowed juice when I lived with my relatives…" Harry admitted, "Only water from the tap."

"Then try this on for size." Gus said as he gazed down at Harry's cup in his hand, "Holy Cow cola."

Instantly, the liquid inside the cup darken and fizzed as Gus handed Harry back the goblet. Harry took an experimental sip, and found that it was unlike anything he had ever had in his like. It wasn't a sweet taste like tea, but it was tangy and flavorful. It bubbled and tickled his mouth and throat as he guzzled it down. It was the best drink in his entire life!

"_BERP_!" Harry belched, long and loud as the entire pavilion quieted. Even Mr. D looked up from his headache in awe as Harry flushed in embarrassment to see the entire mess hall looking at him. Then, the kids of Hermes, Apollo, and Ares al began to clap and cheer loudly for him until Mr. D called for silence. Though Harry noticed a guy at the Ares table giving him a look as he clapped reluctantly. It was the same guy as the day before.

"Samson Hicks." Mike growled out, "He's looking this way."

"Oh no." Jester said.

"Here we go again." Pester finished.

"What?" Mike asked as the others sighed while Harry was confused, "He was glaring at Harry."

"Yeah, and you don't like him." Gus pointed out as Mike's cheeks tinted pink.

"Shut up!" Mike barked out of embarrassment, "That's not the point! The point is that he was looking this way for Harry, not me. I think he has a problem with the munchkin here."

"How can he?" Martin pointed out, his cheery game host persona back, "Harry and Samson have yet to meet and obtain the status of bitter rivals for the lovely Chrstine's heart."

"Exactly." Mike said as the others looked confused, but none more so than Harry, "He must have seen that Christine was taking an interest in Harry. You know how Hikes gets when "his girl" is around other guys, no matter the age gap. He bitterly refuses to be like his father, Lord Ares; stuck in an affair."

"That could be true…" Gus sighed out.

"Well young Harry, you had best sharpen your scythe." Martin said, once again taking a hold of his shoulder, "Because you're about to go head-to-head with the toughest Ares kid there is to date: Samson "Hit-n-Mix" Hicks!"

And Harry could do nothing but gulp down the food he had shoveled into his mouth to stop himself from looking back at the Ares table. How was he supposed to go up against a guy twice his age and height in anything? Especially over this huge misunderstanding?

Those were questions in which he proposed to himself, and Harry had no answer for…

* * *

"So, you think Samson has a problem against you… because I hung out with you yesterday?" Christine said, leaning against the volleyball net-pole.

"Yeah…" Harry replied, "At least, that's what Mike and Gus think."

"Mike _would_ think that." Christine said, her face darkening before she waved it off, "But Gus, too… This wouldn't be the first time someone's come to me about this, though… Listen, I'll tell Samson to back off, 'kay?"

"Thanks." Harry said as Christine hugged him.

"Aww, you're just so cute!" the girl gushed as she squeezed his head between her plentiful breasts, "And it's no problem. That's what a big sister is for."

"Big sister?" Harry said, blinking as Christine smiled at him.

"Yeah. I told you; I have a feeling about you. From the moment I saw you unconscious, I felt worried about you. I only ever have that feeling from my brothers and sisters, though I've only had one brother so far in this camp, and he left my first year."

"Okay." Harry said, not sure what else to say, "I've never had a big sister. My dad said I had a twin brother back home somewhere, but I've never met him. I don't even know what he's like."

"Oh, you poor thing!" Christine said, hugging him.

"Stop it!" Harry shouted, his features darkening as he scowled harshly, "I am not a charity case! I hate it when people feel bad for me! I don't need pity!"

Christine backed away, shocked and more than a little surprised at the dark turn Harry had made. His emerald eyes had been bright, but when he got angry, they darkened like toxic poison. His the shadows from his hair darkened his face, and Harry seemed to radiate fear and death.

"Umm… Harry, you're starting to scare me…" Christine said, trying to remain calm because she and just about everyone else knew Harry was Hades' son, but he really was freaking her out a bit with the way the shadows around him seemed to bend and warp like they were going to rise up and drag her to the Underworld.

Harry's hands clenched into fists at his sides. He hated when others looked down on him. He hated pity with a passion. Pity breathed only weakness, and to be pitied was the ultimate sign of weakness in Harry's eyes. His uncle and aunt would never allow such weakness as pity, and neither would he. He would not be pitied!

But then, the look in Christine's eyes. It wasn't pity. It was… fear, concern, worry? Harry had never been good at reading people's eyes, but those emotions seemed so strong in her that he calmed himself, feeling ashamed that he had snapped at her. It wasn't her fault.

"I… I don't like being pitied…" Harry mumbled, staring at his shoes.

"Harry, you're _eight_. How do you even know the concept of pity?" the sixteen year-old asked as she placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.

"My relatives always said that pity was weakness. I'd always hear them talking about how they had taken me in after my parents died. How I was some poor helpless case. I'd be forced to sit there as they said that stuff to company. Forced to look into the people's eyes and see that they felt nothing but pity for me. Like I was below them." Harry said, his temper rising as he recalled such memories, "Like I was some animal that was put on display for charity. They would look at me, and talk to me, their eyes and their tones saying everything. Saying how I was lower than them, and how they felt sorry for me. How they felt sorry for my mere meager existence."

Christine couldn't say anything. When he had started, Harry spoke like any other kid would. But then, something in his tone changed as he practically spat out the words like a grown man recalling some bitter war he had fought in.

It was slightly unnerving. The way his jaw sat clenched tight. the way the muscles in his young shoulders tensed under her touch. The way his face darkened and his eyes hardened with the recollection of his past memories. It was all a little more than slightly unnerving.

"Come on, Harry. Gus is waiting for us at the armory." Christine said softly.

"I'm sorry…" Harry said as she hugged him again.

"It's okay." she said, still so softly as Harry this time responded to the hug, wrapping his arms around her waist.

"C'mon. Let's go." Christine said, guiding Harry onward.

* * *

"There we go!" Gus said, standing back, "Size three armor for the little tyke."

"Don't call me that…" Harry mumbled as he checked himself in the mirror.

"You don't look half bad in that, Potter." Mike's voice said from the doorway to the metal shed that was the camp armory.

"Thanks." Harry replied, his face flushed as he didn't think Mike was the type to hand out compliments lightly or untruly. Mike sauntered into the armory, walking clear pass Harry as he made his way for Gus. He whispered something in Gus' ear that had the normally laidback boy blushing red while Christine snickered by Harry.

"Shut up…" Gus muttered while being dragged away by Mike, hand in hand.

"I'm stealing him away. No problems with that, I hope." Mike said, though he didn't seem to be asking as he gave Harry one last look, "You really do look good in the black, kid."

"Thanks!" Harry said, shouting a bit to be sure Mike had heard him while Christine shook her head at the pair.

"Those two, they'll be the death of each other." Christine said as Harry had a weird vibe from her words. It was like something in his head clicked at those words.

"Yeah…" Harry said without thinking, "Maybe…"

"Something wrong?" Christine asked as Harry shook his head.

"No, though I think I'm done with armor for today." Harry replied taking off the black helmet and chest plate, "What else do I have to do today?"

"Your first lessons in Greek, kid." Christine aid, ruffling his already untidy black hair, "Come one. I'll introduce you to your teachers."

"Teachers?"

* * *

"Teacher." Mr. D said as a chalkboard appeared behind him, "I am Mr. D, and it was bequeathed to me that I teach you both Ancient Greek the language and Greek Mythology. Are you ready for your first lesson?"

"I suppose…" Harry said as the wooden pointer in Mr. D's hand rapped at his desk.

"There is no "I suppose…" Either you're ready at a moment's notice, or not. Now what do you say?" Mr. D said as Harry sat up straight.

"I'm ready, sir!" Harry said, having no clue where the salute came from.

"Good." Mr. D smiled, "Because that brings us to our first lesson in history. In the beginning, there was nothing, but then came forth Chaos, the first primordial God…"

And so the lesson went.

* * *

"… and then you draw the arrow back… Good, good! You're practically a natural at this, Potter! Are you sure you ain't a Son of the Sun?" asked Dawson Creek, a son of Apollo and leader of the cabin.

"He is shooting from the shade. I've heard tale that children of Hades are stronger in the darkness and shadow." another son of Apollo said as Dawson shrugged.

Harry didn't know what to make of what he was doing. When he had first come onto the archery field, he had at first been made to watch what the others were doing. Then, Dawson came up to him and began pointing out what to do while the kids were practicing. Harry had to admit though, Dawson seemed a little over-the-top about archery, as when he saw kids making mistakes, he'd yell right next to Harry's ear while correcting their technique when needed. Harry noticed that the kids from the Apollo cabin seemed to shoot the best, even the youngest ones.

Then it was his turn. He had been given a bow and a few arrows by Dawson, who was still looking after him. Dawson, though, was also incredibly honest as he admitted to Harry that the only reason he was personally instructing him was to see "what a son of the Brooding One could do."

Harry was very nervous about it all. He had never done anything like it before a day in his life! He had heard tale from Dudley how the chubby boy could shoot arrows like an Indian, but Harry had never gotten the reference and still didn't to date. But he wasn't a coward. That was one thing he would never be.

So, with that in mind, Harry gripped the wooden part of his bow firmly in his right hand while threading a yellow feather, was apparently was the color of the Hermes cabin, into his bow clumsily.

"Relax, Potter. You got this." Dawson had assured as Harry took a deep breath, suddenly feeling calmer as a cloud passed overhead, shading him. Harry pulled back his index and middle fingers, stopping his breathing for the spilt second the arrow was released. Harry and Dawson, along with the others who were on the ranger, watched as the arrow flew towards the target. Harry was only relieved when he saw he hit the target at all.

The others, and Harry when he took a good look, were shocked and surprised when they saw that it had the bull's eye; dead center.

Harry blinked a few times as he felt the calm confidence and power leave him for a moment when the gap in clouds passed him overhead. One of the sons of Apollo noticed this when Harry's second arrow barely reached the target, and then, when back in the shade of the clouds, the third hit the bull's eye.

"Yeah, so what if he is better in the shade?" Dawson asked as he dropped down to be at Harry's level, "The kid's just as good as we are when he is."

And Harry felt good when they had moved him back to the shade of a tree. He felt the cool darkness around him, lapping at his skin like a dark mist. Like they were alive. Harry always did feel better in the darkness of his cupboard when he was small, but had never understood why and simply accepted it.

"The kid is good, but it's a handicap. Teach him to shoot out of the shade, Daw." the guy said as he crossed his arms.

"Yeah, maybe you're right." Dawson said, forgetting his excitement in the face of what could become a serious problem.

"Why aren't you guys… avoiding me…?" Harry asked as Dawson continued to instruct him. He was getting better, being able to actually hit the target and get within the circles.

"Huh? What do you mean, Potter?" Dawson asked as Harry looked up at him, lowering the bow and arrow.

"I mean, I like darkness, you guys like light. We're different." Harry explained, frowning as he saw Dawson and the other guy exchange curious looks, "Besides, the Gods on Olympus hate my father, and he said others wouldn't like me when I got here. But so far, just about everyone has been really nice or not at all interested in me."

"Oh don't worry, kid." Dawson assured, ruffling Harry's hair, "Plenty of people here don't like you."

"That is true." the other guy said with a sigh, "They just don't act on their dislike. You're the son of the Loner, the Brooding One, the Jaded One. They think you might try something here on behalf of your dad."

"True." Dawson pointed out, "But as for the rest of us; we're curious. When you got here, you didn't act like your dad. Ya know; brooding, scowling, dark. All that good chizz."

"And you did get here with your dad in tow. That's something the rest of us can't say." the guy said, "Plus, if the Hermes cabin likes you, you can't be _all_ bad."

"So… people don't like me, but are willing to give me a chance?" Harry asked, hoping he summed it up right. He was glad when Dawson and the other guy nodded.

"We're not all stupid, naïve kids who believe everything they're told, Potter." Dawson said, smiling brightly, "We know that Lord Hades might be a bit of a party-pooper, but he's not out to _kill_ anyone. He doesn't mess with anyone, and he does his job; unlike some Olympians."

"That's right." the other guy nodded, "The point is, Potter; here at camp, it's us against the world of monsters and mortals out there. If we can't band together, we'll lose everything."

"But I'm guessing others don't see it that way." Harry said, scowling in thought when Dawson nodded.

"Some of them think that when they leave here, it'll easy. But we, the counselors and older campers, know it won't. Fighting monsters and living in a summer cap, that's easy. Adjusting to the real world while fighting monsters, that's hard. Most of us don't want to live, because we know we might not even live to the age of 35 years-old."

"We're… We're afraid…" the guy admitted, his head hung as Harry saw they were giving him an honest talk and no lies.

"Why not stay at the camp if there's nowhere else?" Harry asked as Dawson laughed.

"Sounds easy, right?" Dawson asked as Harry nodded, "It's not so. Most of us have families out there in the real world. They need our help, our support. Moms, Dads, little siblings, cousins, grandparents, or even close friends."

"Besides," the other guy started, smiling brightly as well, "some of us get lucky. Sometimes, our Godly parent will give us a job with them, working for them in their domains. Most, if not all, of the Hephaestus kids go to work for their dad in the forges. Demeter's kids go to work as gardeners or professional landscapers. Ares' kids go into the military or some faction of the armed forces."

"But some don't get lucky." Harry said, his scowl growing deeper as the conversation went on.

"No, right." Dawson said, "Some of us end up dead not even a few weeks out of this place. Thankfully, and this is another reason why most people here won't mess with you, Lord Hades has a special place in the Fields of Elysium reserved for all those who die during or after attendance at Camp Half-Blood."

"I think I get…" Harry said, his brows furrowed as he thought, "Some guys are afraid to go out in the world, but most get lucky and get a job with their Godly parent. The ones who die end up in a good place, and it's one of the reasons no one is messing with me. That must be because they fear my father will stop kindness to the camp. The others, the ones who are curious, are helping me. But why help me?"

"Like we said earlier, Potter; we're not stupid, nor are we naïve." the other guy said, almost sneering, but able to completely, "If we help you, then you'll help us when you're older. It's us against the world, and having an Underworld Prince on your side helps a bit."

"So… you're using me?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes as Dawson shrugged.

"You can think of it however you want to, but realize this is camp; everyone uses each other. Me and Tim here, we like you, kid. We're helping you, and in return, all you have to do is help us when we ask."

"That still doesn't set right with me." Harry admitted as Dawson ruffled his hair.

"You don't have to think about it like that, because we sure as hell aren't." Dawson said, "You're a young camper, just like all the others. We, the older campers, look out for the young. You guys only got a taste of the danger you're all in when getting here. We know years of it. Not to mention the quests."

"Yes, let's not mention those. Thank you." the other guy, Tim, said with a faint smirk.

"The point is, Potter, if it wasn't you, then it'd be some other kid we'd be helping." Dawson admitted, hand still on Harry's head as he dropped to get eye-level with him, "But you'll have it even worst than most as the son of Lord Hades while you're this vulnerable. You're just a kid, just like any other. We're here to help train, and guide you little tykes. So don't take it so personally."

"Okay." Harry said as Tim chuckled.

"Come on, back to training. You're shots in daylight suck." Tim said as Harry looked indignant.

"Hey!" Harry shouted as Dawson turned back to him while they came out of the shade of the giant oak.

"What? They do!" Dawson said as Harry scowled at them

"Are you two always so honest?" Harry asked as the two exchanged looks before grinning at Harry.

"Blame our dad." the two said in unison, much like the twins.

"I think I will." Harry deadpanned as he setup for another shot in the daylight.

He wondered just how long the special treatment would last. His father would claim him, that much Harry knew was certain once he proved himself. Then he'd be cut off from the others by way of large dark and spooky cabin. It would only serve as a reminder that he wasn't like the other young members of the Hermes cabin.

So when would it end? Until he was claimed? Until he had settled into camp life? Until there was another new young member of the camp to guide?

Harry wasn't sure exactly when it would end. But as Dawson put a fir hand on his shoulder, beaming down at him with a bright smile and brotherly guidance in his eyes, Harry didn't care one bit. He was gonna enjoy the time while it lasted.

* * *

Harry was very much in awe when Dawson had Christine drag him to the arena for his first sword fight, which both teens wanted to watch along with half of Hermes cabin and some of the others. He didn't have much time to gaze about as a sword was thrown to him and he was made to fight another eight year-old. The sword was light in his hands, but he didn't get much time to think about his weapon before the other kid began to slash at him like a wild animal.

Harry had lost in the end, the kid's swings just too crazy to fight against. Afterward, the kids said that he had never had a sword before, and that the others in his cabin (which was the Hephaestus cabin) told him to "wing it".

Dawson made the comment that no one was surprised that Harry had lost.

"Nope." Dawson said, "Especially with the way that kid was swinging like someone had broken into his house. In fact, the kid cut himself up more than you cut him and he cut you."

Tim, apparently the only Apollo kid who wasn't "floating on the clouds" according to Mike, said that if their had been any darkness, then Harry would have certainly done better.

"What do you mean?" Mike asked, his brow raised.

"Harry does better in the darkness. In shade, and shadows, and night." Tim said as Mike stared at Harry.

"Let's get him another opponent from the age group." Mike said, "Then we can truly assess his skills."

Harry groaned in protest as he was forced to pick up his sword again and fight another boy, though this one from the Hermes cabin. The fight was better, much better as Harry found himself in a daze of parrying, blocking, slashing, and repeating the cycle. He wasn't good, neither of the two eight year-olds were as Dawson blatantly told them with a bright smile. But, Tim and Mike both said that they'd get better with age.

Somewhere in-between Harry's sixth match against a ten year-old, Chiron had called for a break where he took the time to speak to the age group of ten years-old and below.

"I have watched over your matches." Chiron declared as he smiled at them all, "And while now you lack skill and experience, these things _will_ come with time and practice. For all of you, I can say that the most common flaw I have witnessed here today is in the way you hold your swords that needs to be improved upon. For some, the way you hold it doesn't leave much room for movement. For others, your grip is too lax, and it allows your opponent to knock it from your hand. I will now demonstrate the proper hold and explain. Please, take up your blades and follow along."

"Like this?" a six year-old from Ares' cabin asked as he tried.

"Yes, that's it." Chiron smiled down at the kid as everyone turned to him and shifted their holds, "Do not worry, your cabin counselors are here to help you. Conselors, please go through the group, and instruct where you can. Do not simply help your own cabin, but wherever you see error."

"Yes, sir." the teens chorused as they moved from the sidelines and began walking and moving through the crowd of small children, some barking out instructions while others guided the young calmly.

"Now we shall move through the basics. Children, follow my movements, and listen to my voice. Counselors, help and chime in where you can."

Harry found himself smiling at just how easy it felt to flow with the movements as he followed Chiron's teachings. He wasn't a natural, as Martin pointed out as though Harry had answered a question wrong on a quiz show, but he was getting it. By the end of the session, he and his fellow age group members had improved noticeably. He wasn't as good as some of the Ares and Athena kids, but luckily Dawson said that in a month, he would be able to fight them no problem.

"You know," one of the teens from the Athena cabin said to Harry as she walked up, "It was said that in battle, Lord Hades wielded a staff with great power, both mystical and his own physical skill with it. It was also said that he could wield almost any weapon that was given to him or he picked up in his hands during the First Great Olympian War."

"The Titanomachy?" Mike asked as the girl nodded, "That is true. Lord Hades and the others were deadlocked against the Titans for a good ten years. He must have been in the front lines of battle most of those days."

"Yeah, it's true!" Christine exclaimed, "I once spoke to my mom about it. She said that he even claimed the Ancient One's soul during one of the battles, but it was stolen back later."

Everyone turned to Harry, who looked both highly confused and yet greatly interested in what they were saying. The only problem was-

"What are you trying to say?" Harry asked as the Athena girl looked annoyed that he wasn't getting it.

"It means that you'll be good with just about any type of weapon when the situation calls for it. Bow and arrows, sword and shield, whip, scythe, magic…"

But Harry felt a shiver run down his spine at the mention of a scythe. He felt both thrilled and frightened at the thought of wielding one. Almost as though it would bring him great power and yet great sorrow…

"Harry? You get it?" Christine asked, seeing the eight years-old far-away look.

"Huh? Oh yeah, I understand." Harry said, "Just need practice, right?"

"Right." the Athenian teen said, "Well, see ya later."

"Right." Mike said, "See ya, Shelley."

* * *

Harry ate his lunch in silence. He was trying to think about which Gods he was going to make offerings to later during dinner. He would have to make offerings to his father. Then there was mothers Persephone and Hecate, along with his unknown mother. Then it was Apollo, Hermes, Nemesis, Athena, and Aphrodite; all of whose children were helping him get ready quickly for the game of Capture the Flag. Then there was Hestia, who Dionysus said was the Goddess of the Hearth and got a part of all offerings. Then Dionysus himself… It was all making Harry's head hurt and spin.

Harry glanced up from his plate to see his friends in Cabin Eleven. They sat around, eating and talking about nothing in particular while they enjoyed the food. Harry sat beside Gus, who was seated directly across from Mike. It was only then that Harry had noticed they sat across or next to each other for everything. It was almost like they liked each other. Oh well, it wasn't his business, and he had been asking too many questions as it was. His aunt and uncle always did tell him not to ask questions. He was sure that he might offend them if he asked them, and Harry didn't want to lose any friends over his own curiosity.

Harry found that he was fast becoming really good friends with those in the Hermes cabin, along with Christine, Dawson, Tim, and Shelley. Mike, Gus, Martin, and the Roads twins Jester and Pester were almost like family to Harry with the way they treated him as though he were one of their brothers. In fact, Harry wasn't sure he could do anything to repay them and the others who were helping him.

He'd find a way though, somehow…

* * *

"Aye man!" a young voice, even younger than Harry's own voice, called out to him as Harry looked up to see a six to seven year-old satyr looking up at him nervously, "I need your help!"

"Me?" Harry asked as the young one nodded hurriedly. Harry had been about to go see the strawberry fields when the satyr had come running from that direction.

"Yeah! Diana's been taken into the forest by one of the monsters! You've gotta help her!" the little half-goat person said as Harry blinked, bouncing on his feet as he weighted countless choices and decisions.

"Come on!" Harry said, grabbing the satyr by the arm and hurrying back toward the cabins.

"What are you doing?" the little half-goat boy asked, "She needs help now!"

"But I still don't know how to fight monsters!" Harry yelled back as they continued to run, "We'll get one of my friends, and they'll help us!"

"Harry!" Gus called out as he saw the young cabin member running toward him and the others as they hung out.

"Emergency!" Harry yelled, like he had the one time the kitchen back at the Dursley's had been on fire. Though this time, there was no small fire to douse out. A person's life was in danger of being eaten.

"Whoa there, young Potter!" Martin said, "What is this emergency you speak of?"

"No time!" Harry said, feeling his lungs burning from the full out sprint, "Girl. Taken. Monster! Forest."

"Girl?" Mike said, arching a brow as he exchanged looks with Gus.

"Taken?" Christine said as she sat down her cards while looking at Harry.

"The forest?" Dawson said, looking to Tim, who was already grabbing their bows and arrow sleeves from inside the Hermes cabin, where they had been placed until Free Time was over.

"Monster!" Martin wailed, looking quite comical as he slapped both hands to his face.

"Monster?" at that, everyone had jumped up and were scrambling for their things.

"Dawson, our bows!" Tim said as he threw a bow and a set of arrows to Dawson, who didn't look like a sunny person with the look on his face. No, he looked like a warrior.

"Where in the name of Hades is my sword!" Gus shouted as he dug through his things.

"Check your truck!" Mike shouted as he shrugged on a long sleeved shirt.

"I'll go alert Chiron." Christine said, "Name of girl?"

"Diana!" the little satyr shouted, looking close to tears.

"Right, and yours?"

"I'm Grover Underwood."

"Good. I'm off." and off she was. Harry didn't know the Barbie-like girl could sprint so quickly.

"Gus, let's go!" Dawson shouted, both him and Gus being cabin counselors along with Christine.

"I can't find my sword." Gus shouted as he came bursting out of the Hermes cabin with a metal armband on, "But I got the shield. We'll go with Plan Delta, then."

"Right." Dawson agreed quickly, "Everyone, move quickly."

And quickly they did. Harry could only just barely keep up with them, and even Grover was falling behind.

"Harry, stay just outside the forest in the shade." Dawson ordered as Harry nodded, wanting the girl to be saved and not caring by who.

"Tim, stay with him and little Grover." Gus said as Tim nodded, "Anything that isn't us or good, you shoot to wound."

"Roger that." Tim said professionally, skidding to a stop just outside the forest. He power-slid to one knee and had readied his bow and arrow so quickly, that Harry had nearly been stabbed in the eye while he skidded to a stop behind the teen.

They waited, hearing far-off battle cries and roars that made Harry worry. Tim beside him didn't seem to move at all from his readied position, almost like a statue Harry had seen of Apollo getting ready to shoot-off an arrow. Grover's knees shook and his teeth chattered while he rung his hands.

"How did she get taken?" Harry asked, trying to stop the boy from dying of nerves.

"We we picking strawberries on the far side of the field, near the forest. We were talking about how she was liking camp, as it was her third month. Next thing I know, she was grabbed by something and dragged away kicking and screaming. I froze up… Then I ran for help as fast I could."

"You did the right thing." Tim said, still not moving anything more than his mouth, "You're only about 13 years-old. Still extremely young for a satyr."

"They'll get her back." Harry said, patting Grover's shoulder.

"Whose kid was she?" Tim asked as Grover looked up.

"Athena's." Grover answered as Tim made an understanding sound.

"It must have been the giant spiders." Tim said as Grover lost all color in his face.

"The sp-spiders?" Grover said, his goat legs failing him as he fell on his butt, "Oh no…!"

"Spiders?" Harry echoed in confusion.

"Yeah. Spiders hate the children of Athena, and Lady Athena herself." Tim said, as still as a statue, "It all stems from a rivalry Lady Athena had with a mortal woman named Arachne a long time ago, back in the Greek years. Arachne challenged Lady Athena to see who could make the best tapestry. Lady Athena went to the mortal woman disguised as an old crone, trying to warn Arachne of her hubris and insults of the Gods. But Arachne said if she lost she would accept any punishment. Lady Athena was enraged at the woman's attitude, so she took off her disguise, and accepted the challenge, as she invented weaving."

"Whoa…" Harry said as Tim went on.

"In the end, they had each made a magnificent tapestry. Lady Athena's was of the gods together in glory and joy. Arachne's showed the gods making fools of themselves. Lady Athena was so angry by the deliberate insult to herself and the others gods that she destroyed the tapestry in rage and was declared the winner."

"Well, that's not fair." Harry said as Tim shrugged, though still had his bow and arrow trained on the forest.

"Life back then wasn't exactly fair, and it still isn't today. Now then, back to the story. Arachne was filled with guilt, and hung herself. Athena after seeing this felt responsible for her death and decided to do her a favor. She turned Arachne into a spider so that her and all her children would be expert weavers forever. However, ever since then, Athena's children have had a deep fear of spiders and whatever looks like them, paranoid that every spider they see is out to get them and avenge their mother, Arachne the Mother of all Spiders." Tim finished as Harry sat down beside.

"So, they think spiders are out to get them?" Harry asked, just to be clear.

"Yeah. Normally, to get them to play Capture the Flag with us, we have to tell them we sprayed for spiders right before the game starts." Tim said, chuckling to himself as Harry joined in.

"This isn't funny!" Grover said, "A spider actually got Diana! That means the spiders _are_ after Lady Athena's kids!"

"Maybe…" Tim said, "But all I did was repeat what I learned here at camp. The true story, well, no one probably knows."

"Maybe the story isn't the problem." Harry said, feeling a tingle in his brain as he remembered a quote he had once heard as a younger child, "Maybe it's the difference of a point of view?"

"You just might be right, Potter." Tim said, glance at Harry in respect for a second before they both heard screaming. Particularly Martin and Gus' girly screams.

"Shoot the spiders! Shoot the spiders, dammit!" Gus and Martin yelled in unison as the two came rushing from the forst and blurring past the three watchers.

"You heard them! Shoot the damn spiders!" Mike yelled with a small blond girl on his shoulder while Dawson brought up the rear, his bow shooting arrows off into the forest as he strung them second by second.

"Harry, get out! Tim, shoot to kill!" Dawson ordered as Tim's face became stone serious. Harry scrambled to his feet and ran with Mike as Tim nodded.

"Roger that, sir." Harry barely heard Tim say before the boy shot a giant spider between the eyes. He strung another arrow as soon as the first hit it's target and shot the second at another large spider that was rushing to Dawson's right.

"Out of the forest for Plan: Apollo Gama!" Dawson ordered as Time hoped to his feet and was still shooting as he hastily backed out of the forest with Dawson at his side.

By the time both Dawson and Tim were out of the forest, Harry was practically squashed between Grover and the little blonde girl he suspected was Diana.

Though that was nothing to what came next. All the warning they got was the sound of galloping coming from toward the Big House as Harry tried and failed to turn toward the noise.

"Chiron…" Grover uttered as Harry tried still to turn his head to see what was happening, but Grover and Diana were in his way.

"Back! Back you foul beasts!" Harry heard Chiron boom right before his mind was blown.

Because racing past his vision to drive off the giant spiders the size of dogs, Harry saw that Chiron was not in a wheelchair. In fact, Chiron was galloping past them with a sword in hand.

But hear was the mind blowing part. Chiron wasn't riding atop a horse. No, Chiron _was_ _the_ _horse_ as Christine and Shelley rode atop him with worried looks! Well, he was half-horse from the waist down. Half-horse! Chiron was half-horse! Chiron…

And that was when Harry's mind drew a long blank, because when he came back to himself, the little blonde girl Diana was hugging him and they were all on the deck of the Big House.

* * *

"Thank you for saving me." Diana said, his stormy grey eyes filled with gratitude.

"I didn't do anything." Harry said as he gestured to the older campers beside them, "They did everything. All I did was run for help."

"Yeah, but if you had gone with me, the three of us would be dead." Grover said, his head hung.

"Maybe, but Harry, you did come to us in a hurry. Some campers your age would have raced into the danger themselves." Mike said softly, everyone of the teens looking at him as though he had grown another head. Even Harry was surprised as he had never heard Mike speak without a sneering or a severe tone. Though Gus seemed taken in by it as he wrapped an arm around Mike's shoulder.

"You're the real hero here, Harry." Chiron said, "For it is not the mightiest or smartest that win the war. But the one who knows when to call for help from… special and unique allies; friends." Chiron said, casting a mirthful look at the rag-tag bunch as he smiled.

"We're counselors, Chiron." Dawson said, ruffling Tim's hair with the teen gave him a scowl and glare, "It's what we do."

"Right you are." Chiron said, "As an added bonus to this little rescue mission; free time until Capture the Flag. Alter the rest of the camp."

"But, Chiron." Shelley said, chewing her bottom lip in worry, "You're not the Camp Director anymore. Mr. D is. Only he can make a call like that."

All the other teens groaned at her wish to follow the rules, but Chiron only smiled as he gazed down at her.

"Mr. D has only just accepted the job. Until he's completely up to speed, I think I can handle running the camp as I have for the past many years." Chiron said as Dawson, Gus, and Martin cheered.

"Burned!" Dawson said to Shelley, whose face went red with embarrassment and rage, "That was the nice way of saying: Shut up because I've been doing this job longer than you've been alive, and that no one is going to tell me how to do it."

"It did sorta sound like that…" Harry admitted as Shelley glared at him, though the small shy smile she carried after punching Dawson ruined the effect.

"Come on, Diana. Let's go back to the cabin to disinfect you." Shelley said as Diana took her offered hand and walked off. She turned around in her walking to give Harry a shy little wave good-bye, her face flushed and her eyes not quite gazing at him.

"Awww!" the teens chorused as they glanced between Harry and Diana.

"Huh? What?" Harry asked as Christine hugged him.

"Little dude's got the Apollo charm with the little ladies." Dawson boasted as Gus scoffed.

"More like the Hermes charm. Right, Mike?" Gus asked as he squeezed Mike's shoulder. Mike's eyes widened as his face went red in seconds. Then he growled, and elbowed Gus in his stomach before smirking.

"Sure. Whatever you say." Mike said, grinning down at Gus' groaning form on the floor of the deck.

"Come on, guys! We've still got an epic match of cards to get back to, and the commercial break has gone on forever!" Martin declared as the others groaned.

"Why don't you come with an off switch…?" Tim muttered as they all followed Martin, who was practically dancing back to the Hermes cabin.

"Aren't you going with them, Harry?" Chiron asked as Harry gazed back up to him.

"I can't believe you're half-horse." Harry blurted out before slapping a hand over his mouth while Chiron chuckled.

"Indeed, I am a centaur. I didn't want to alarm you, so I stayed in my magical wheelchair for as long as I could. In fact, I wanted to surprise you later at Capture the Flag." Chiron said as Harry nodded dumbly. His mind was just not comprehending what he was seeing, but he was working on it.

"Well… I'm certainly surprised, Mr. Chiron…" Harry said as Chiron patted him on the back.

"We'll talk later." Chiron promised, "Now be off. Your friends are probably waiting. And please, call me Chiron."

"See you later… Chiron." Harry said as Chiron smiled in approval.

"Until later today, Harry Potter." Chiron said as he waved Harry off, watching as the young boy raced off toward the cabins.

Chiron was sure that sooner or later, Harry would change Camp Half-Blood life forever.

The reason for proclaiming so? Because they boy already was.


	5. Harry… What Have You Done?

**This chapter has alternative names, "No, Harry! Don't!" and "Show 'Em What Ya Got, Potter!". There were others, but I can't remember them and didn't write them down.**

**Also, this chapter is really short because I didn't want to waste too much time on this whole "Preface" of Harry's early time in camp before going to Hogwarts, and getting out. Basically, the next five chapter will sum all of that up. Harry's beginning time in camp, his time around Hogwarts, and his battles against Voldemort.**

**Now on with the show!**

**Chapter 5: Harry… What Have You Done?**

* * *

"Another Friday is upon us! The first Friday of the summer!" Chiron announced as he stood proudly upon his quadrupedal horse legs. At hearing that it was the first Friday of the summer, the campers began to cheer wildly until Chiron silenced them to go on, "As with every Friday at this time, we will now start the traditional game of Capture the Flag."

More cheers among the campers erupted before Chiron once again quieted them. Harry saw that Mr. D was standing off to the side, sulking about how sober he was. Harry didn't understand what "sober" was, but he figured it had something to do with the man's lack of alcohol.

"As the older campers know, I shall explain things to our newer recruits." Chiron said, smiling down directly at Harry and others, "Capture the Flag is a long tradition here in Camp Half-Blood and is held every Friday. You campers usually play amongst yourselves, but when the Hunters of Artemis visit, you all shall face them."

The Hunters of Artemis? Harry figured that they were some other campers that didn't come around to often.

"When playing Capture the Flag, campers go into the forest begin me, where all the monsters are." Chiron said as some of the younger campers looked uncomfortable, "It is a fairly dangerous game, but it is beneficial because it provides you young demigods the real-life training needed in order to survive in the world. All magic items are allowed in this game."

Harry saw a few of the older campers patting their pockets and whatnot while getting high-fives and snickering.

"There is a flag on each side of the forest; one for each team. To win you need to bring your opponent's flag across the border; which is the river that is in the middle of the forest. The flag must be visible." Chiron said before gesturing to himself, "I will be serving as battlefield-medic and referee. There is a Capture the Flag jail, in which captured opponents can be placed in the jail and aren't allowed to leave unless freed by another person from their team."

Harry was sure that he'd be taken to jail.

"Now for the rules! The creek is the boundary line, and the entire forest is fair game. As I said before; all magic items are allowed. The flags must be noticeably displayed and can have no more than two guards. Captured prisoners may be disarmed, but may not be bound or gagged." Chiron said before his face darkened, taking on a severe look, "No killing or maiming is allowed. The punishment for breaking this rule is unspeakable. Lastly, guards aren't allowed to stand within ten yards of the flag."

"I wonder what the punishment is for killing or maiming someone?" Harry mused aloud as Christine leaned over him.

"It's loss of dessert for a week." Christine answered as Harry decided not to even say anything about that.

"You all have an hour to get yourselves ready for the game." Chiron said, "The teams have already been selected: the Athena, Apollo, and Hermes Cabins versus the Ares, Demeter, and Hephaestus cabins. Be off then!"

* * *

As they walked away toward the armory and their cabins, something kept tugging at Harry's curiosity. He looked up to Christine and Mike, both of whom encouraged him to ask questions through different ways. Christine through niceness and soft word, and Mike through his piercing gaze and harsh expression.

"What did he mean earlier about the Hunters of Artemis?" Harry asked.

"Huh? Oh, he meant the Hunters of Artemis." Christine said with a vague hand gesture like she was annoyed to have to talk about them, "They're girls that serve as Lady Artemis' children. They swear loyalty to her, join her hunting, and reject men for the rest of their lives." Christine explained as Harry blinked.

"What do you mean reject men?" Harry asked as Mike blinked at him.

"You know, reject men. No love for males." Mike said as he made vague hand gestures which Harry recognized as the same ones his father made.

"Oh! You mean the sex!" Harry exclaimed as Christine and Mike silently gawked at him in shock.

"Wh-What?" Mike asked in shock.

"My father made those same gestures to me when he was talking about sex." Harry said as Mike felt his eye twitch.

"We are not dealing with that now." Mike said, giving both Harry and Christine a stern look when she was about to speak up, "Back to the Hunters."

"Umm… Right… Anyways, the hunters are really gifted with excellent ranged capabilities and hunting skills, and possess eternal youth. Because of the time they spend with Lady Artemis, they all immensely enjoy hunting and being at her side. They are her maidservants, her companions, her sisters in arms." Christine said, rolling her eyes as she must have thought to be "a load of crap" like the twins had once said, "They are however, sworn to be hunters forever and to be an eternal maiden. Because of this, many of them hate guys and even dread traveling with them."

"Whenever they visit the camp, we have a "friendly" game of Capture the Flag against them." Mike said, making air quotes with a roll of his eyes, "We've never won a game against them. So far in the camp's entire history, the hunters have been here a total of 28."

"Okay…" Harry said as Mike gave him a deadpan look.

"They've won 28 times… in a row." Mike said as Christine nodded.

"Chiron gets really down about it…" Christine remarked as Harry raised a brow. Harry supposed that if he trained heroes for as long as Chiron and his charges got beaten by girls every time they came around, he'd be depressed too.

* * *

The sound of steel clashing against steel could heard if one were to walk into the forest of Camp Half-Blood. The sound of war cries and battle could be heard as well. Harry smiled as he sat in the shade of a large tree about fifteen yards from the Blue team flag. His bow and blunt arrows already set as he was one of the flag's two guardians. His black armor seemed to glow in the fading daylight while the sword strapped to his hip gleamed. Tim Archer, son of Apollo, was on the other side acting as the second guardian while hidden up in a tree, gazing over the area as he looked for trouble.

"Harry, Reds to the right. Thirty meters." Tim said firmly as Harry nodded, the coming darkness giving him surprisingly good vision as he saw through the trees at the sneaky Ares children. He let loose three blunt arrows which struck the red soldiers, all sons of Ares in the sides of their helmets, knocking them unconscious, "You're getting pretty good at this… Oh wait, you're in the shade."

"At least I'm good." Harry said back as Tim scoffed.

"Kid, you can barely hit the broad side of the Big House. Remember, we tried." Tim said as Harry scowled at him.

"Whatever…" Harry muttered.

"How many so far?" Tim asked as he saw some of their teammates taking up the Reds and bringing them to jail.

"Nine. You?" Harry asked as he finally saw where Tim was sitting in the branches. As the shadows fell on Tim, Harry saw him quite clearly as Tim fired an arrow and Harry heard a groan and a thump.

"Thirteen." Tim confirmed as he looked over to Harry. He was a bit surprised that Harry was gazing right back at him and could see him, "What? You got night-vision now, too?"

"Apparently…" Harry said as Tim rolled his eyes, "I'm bored."

"You know what Christine said; no fighting the main battle for you. Maybe once it gets dark, but only if Dawson and Shelley say so."

"Okay." Harry said. He honestly wanted to see what had the older kids, mainly boys, so excited about the game. So far he had been sitting around shooting arrows. It was boring.

"Besides, Mike would have my- Whoa!" Tim said, but stopped as he jerked back in time to miss being hit by an arrow, "Harry, Reds due south. Small splinter group to capture the flag. I'll engage, you snipe from the shadows."

"I knew you'd be babysitting the new brat, Archer." a gruff, masculine voice said as Tim jumped down from his tree, "You Arrowheads always so protecting, just like the Bran Kids."

"Why don't you say that to Shelley's face, Hicks." Tim said as he shot off arrows. Harry turned around and peeked out from behind the tree to see a group of about eight guys coming toward them. However, it was the guy in front leading the pack that made Harry worry, because it was the same one who had been glaring at him the day yesterday.

The guy had dirty blond hair, and dark brown eyes with a scar under his right eye. He was tall and muscular, very intimidating in his red and golden armor. His scowl was like that of a disgruntle soldier on the battlefield.

Harry shook his head as he took aim while Tim ran toward the group. Tim jumped clear over the leader and began breaking up the pack with swipes of his sword. Harry fired an arrow at the group, watching as they backed away from it and a few of the guys broke off to engage him. However, Harry smiled as he watched Tim catch them off-guard and take them down. Though in that brief moment in which Tim disabled and knocked out the three, Harry noticed two things.

The first problem was that he other four guys were trying to catch Tim from behind. That problem was taken care of when Harry beamed one of them with an arrow to the helmet and Tim took notice.

The second was that the leader had disappeared from their sight while the two Blue guards were dealing with his lackeys.

* * *

"Stay sharp, Harry!" Tim advised as Harry nodded from where he was, a frown marring his innocent looks while he glanced around.

Then Harry heard a grunt and turned back to Tim… only to see the stern son of Apollo fall to his knees and then face first to the ground.

"Damn idiots. If I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times. If your enemy is cutting down your allies, don't attack head-on. No, you sneak up behind them and strike them from the back. That's what war truly is." the buff son of Ares said before he spit on a tree.

The guy then looked up, in Harry's general direction as it was now too dark for him to see clearly, "And now to deal with your, squirt."

He advanced over Tim and then a couple of steps further as Harry tensed, but then all of a sudden he stopped.

"Archer, if you wanna keep that hand, you'll let go of me." the guy, Samson Hicks, Harry suddenly recalled, said with glancing down at Tim's body. Harry saw Tim's head rise up from the ground, his face covered in dirt.

"Leave him alone, Hicks. He's just a kid." Tim groaned out as Hicks scoffed.

"He's not just any kid, and you know that." Hicks said as he glanced Harry's way, "Besides, I wanna see what all the talks been about throughout the camp. This kid's supposed to be special or something. Let's find out."

"Hicks…"

"Sorry, but I don't think you'll be conscious for the results of this experiment, Poem Boy." Hicks said, and with that he turned and stomped Tim's lights out as the hand around Hicks' ankle went limp.

* * *

Harry froze at that sight. He couldn't move. He went into complete shock. He didn't even know Samson Hicks had been standing in front of until the guy spoke, and even then Harry was still staring in shock at Tim's downed body.

"I don't see what the big deal is about you, kid, but I don't much care. All I want is a fight outta you. Then there's my little deal with-"

"You hurt my friend." Harry said, still staring at Tim's unconscious form.

"Wh- Huh?" Samson asked in confusion, raising a brow at the squirt.

"You hurt my friend." Harry said, feeling strangely empty as his shock suddenly drained from him.

"What? Tim Archer? Dude's a prick." Samson said, waving his hand dismissively.

"You hurt my friend." Harry said a little louder as something within him snapped ever so quietly. Like a twig in the middle of a forest.

"Yeah, I did." Samson said, freeing his sword as he held it at the ready, "What 'cha gonna do about it?"

"You hurt my friend." Harry said, still staring at Tim as visions of things he did not know passed before his mind's eye. A high cold laughter, a green flash of light, amother's begging for her children's lives…

And then he was filled with something. Something dark and primal. Something relentless and unyielding. Something… angry.

You hurt my friend!" Harry incited as Samson stared at him oddly. Was the kid cracking up? Going nuts?

"You hurt my friend!" Harry said as Samson backed away, seeing something in the darkness around them begin to twist and churn. Glancing around, Samson saw that the entire forest was slowly darkening to the point where he could barely see the trees around him, "YOU HURT MY FRIEND!"

And with that, Samson was knocked back off his feet as Harry rose to his own, shouting at the top of his lungs while gripping at his head. It was like something evil was trying to stir free. Something that wanted vengeance for Tim. Something that wanted to hurt people.

Samson rose back to his feet as he gazed at Harry. The kid was nuts! The whole scene before him was insane! The kid was rising off the ground like some Exorcist type thing, gripping at his head in pain and mumbling to himself. All the darkness around them was bending and warping, twisting and writhing while sparkles of light danced around the brat. The grass under the kid began to grow and die like nature was in super fast-forward. Flowers grew and withered while the kid's eyes shot open, Samson only then realizing the kid had closed them in some sort of phantom mind pain. The boy's eyes went from shining emerald green with mystical power and gentle kindness to darkening with barely controlled rage. Fear and death radiated from Harry Potter just as strongly as mystic, innocence, love, and raw energy did.

The kid was going to blow the Hades up!

"YOU HURT MY FRIEND!" Harry shouted into the skies, thunder and lightning booming around him as the winds twisted and the Earth shook.

Samson was nearly sweating as he saw the kid descend, having gained some semblance of focus as he glared down at Samson, seeming like a giant of ten feet tall while Samson stood his ground.

"That's it, kid!" Samson said, turning his fear into anticipation for a battle he wouldn't soon forget, "I did! Fight me!"

And Samson's fear came back to him as he saw the kid- No, as he saw Harry Potter free his sword from it's sheathe at his hip. It was like watching the Grim Reaper hold his soul-reaping scythe back right before he took your life.

"I'm gonna kill you!" Harry snarled fiercely as he charged at Samson with a battle cry.

"Bring it, punk!" Samson shouted right back, matching Potter's charge with one of his own.

When met and clashed, the very ground beneath their feet quaked at their matched might. Samson's strength from years of working out and Harry's from near blind rage.

Harry yelled in rage as he stabbed at Samson, but the son of Ares parried the blow and swung back at him with his own. Harry angled his sword, and used it to block the blow before he lashed out with a kic, his short legs just barely making it to Samson's stomach. The blow hurt none the less as it caused Samson Hicks to roll backwards with it as he grabbed at his stomach.

"Now this is what I'm talking about, kid! Fight me with all you got!" Samson said, having near enjoyed a battle like he was. He felt things he hadn't felt in years. Fear, anticipation, excitement, anxiety, elation, and terror! It was without a doubt the best battle he had ever had so far, "And we're just getting started!"

Samson rushed Harry, trying to sweep his feet from under him, but Harry merely jumped up and kicked him across his face. Samson was knocked off his feet by the power of the blow, but managed a handspring as he found his feet parallel to the ground on a tree. Kicking off the tree, Samson flew at Harry, landing a solid punch to the boy's face, causing the young Potter to skid across the ground until he hit a tree, which promptly broke in two at the force he collided with it at. Harry didn't seem too fazed by it though as he growled darkly, and got up, slowly approaching Samson as they clashed swords.

Samson was knocked back as Harry stepped into one of his blows, spinning into the older male's guard before backhanding him. Samson nearly dropped his sword, but used his hand's lax grip on it to spin it right back into it's right place. He jumped up at Harry, trying to slash at the Potter boy, he blocked with another near feral growl that promised death.

Then what happened next had Samson blinking in confusion at how fast it had occurred. Harry had lifted their parry up, and twtisted his sword inward while Samson had to let go before his wrist was broken by the turn. Then Harry hit his sword high into the air before slashing both Samson's legs, making the older teen fall to his knees in the pain. Harry caught the second sword before he spun inward to stand right in front of Samson Hicks, placing both swords at the older teen's neck while his eyes glowed darkly. Samson's own eyes grew wide with fear, but then he started laughing.

* * *

"Harry! Tim!" voices called as Harry's darkened face took no sign that he noticed them.

"You hurt my friend. You die." Harry's voice said, dark and cold like a bottomless abyss of night.

"Tim, are you okay?" that must have been Creek and Christine, Samson noted.

"Harry! Is that-…! Harry, what are you doing?" Dawson yelled as Samson rolled his eyes, but then shivered with fright as he felt the blades press into his neck.

"He hurt my friend. He hurt Tim!" Harry growled as though defending what he was about to do.

"Harry, it's okay. The game is over." Dawson said patiently, trying to stay calm, "You can stop now."

"He hurt Tim!" Harry yelled, backing the blades up only a bit to begin the final deed.

"Harry don't do this!" Christine yelled.

"He must die!" Harry shot back as he backed the blades up again. Samson took a final breath. This was it.

"Go ahead, kid. Do it." Samson said, smiling, "Show them that you aren't to be trifled with. Show them you're not afraid of the dark. Show them that they should fear _you_! Show them all that you _are_ the dark! Unleash the monster!"

"Samson, shut up!" Christine yelled.

"Harry put the swords down now!" Mike yelled behind Dawson while the Roads twins and Martin watched on with baited breath

"Harry don't do this!" Gus yelled as Harry gave them all a dark glare that was not his own.

"He must pay!" and with that, Harry took both swords and did the deed.

"No, Harry! Don't!" they all yelled, but it was too late as they watched in horror while Samson's body slumped forward onto the ground in a heap.

Christine looked at Samson and Harry in shock, her mouth and gape and her eyes just as wide as everyone else's, "Harry… what have you done?"

Harry didn't answer. All the power, all the rage, all the sorrow that had filled him was leaving him. The world around them grow lighter as the darkness faded, but not for Harry. His eyes closed as he fell back, his own inner darkness calling.

"Harry!" Christine said as she, Gus, Mike, and Dawson rushed forward, checking on the two downed campers.

Mike slid to a stop on his knees as he and Gus checked on Harry while Christine and Dawson looked over Samson. And then they saw something that didn't make sense.

"Harry cut him, we saw it." Christine said, her and Dawson checking the rough son of Ares' neck for the bleeding wounds, but found nothing.

"What is this?" Dawson asked, poking at something that was on Samson's neck.

"Bracers…" Christine said, taking off the invisible accessory, "Invisible bracers…"

"The kid's good." Samson coughed out as Dawson and Christine looked down at him in surprise, "If Michael hadn't given me those, I'd be dead."

"Michael?" Shelley echoed as she came up behind them while Samson was propped up against a tree, "Isn't he one from your cabin, Dawson?"

"Yeah." Dawson said, thinking of his youngest half-brother, "He's a bit of a loner. He has these visions and prophecies that get on people's nerves because he's always right. It's a little weird, even in our cabin."

"Kid gave me the bracers and told me to put 'em around my neck. Said I'd need them." Samson said, choking as he rubbed his neck, "I'd kiss that kid now if it wasn't gay."

"And we all know you hate gays." Mike sneered coldly with a glare before he glanced at Dawson, "Harry's fine, just exhausted. Like, extremely exhausted. He's gonna need some nectar and ambrosia when we get back to camp."

"What do we tell Chiron when he comes?" Shelley asked as she looked around at her fellow teens

"We say nothing." Mike said firmly as Martin nodded.

"He's right. It stays between us here. Swear it on the River Styx." Martin said in uncharacteristic firmness.

"Martin, that's a little-"

"Swear it, Shelley! All of you. All of us." Gus said as everyone stared.

"We swear it on the River Styx that not a word of this shall leave our breath unless with those whom we swear and Harry." Shelley said, and everyone echoed her as a rumbling of the earth and sky showed that their pact was made.

"He really cares about his friends, huh?" Gus asked as Christine went and picked Harry up into her lap, softly stroking his hair.

"Yeah, he does…" she said softly as Mike and Gus knelt next to her.

"The game is done! Blue Team is victorious!" Chiron voice sounded loudly as he came galloping toward the group, What has happened here?"

"Samson and Harry went at it, Chiron." Gus spoke up, "Samson beat him."

"Yeah, sure I did. Kid whopped my ass." Samson said as Chiron surveyed all of them.

Chiron was about to say something, but then stepped back with a gasp as the teens found themselves bathed anti-light which glowed purple. They all looked up to where it was coming from, as Christine gasped while Harry glowed a dark purple all around his unconscious body. Chiron bowed before it while the teens merely looked at it in shock and awe before doing the same.

"The bloodline is… determined. Hades, Rich One, Silent One, Dark One, Lone One. Lord of the Underworld, King of All Wealth. **All hail Harry Potter, son of the God of the Dead**." Chiron incited as everyone bowed their heads while Harry slept silent.


	6. Finding Family in Friends

**A/N: Sorry for how late this update has come, but if you've been following my other works, you can see that I've been keeping myself busy.**

**Chapter 6: Finding Family in Friends**

* * *

"Ugh…" Harry groaned as he vaguely heard shifting around him and found himself being lowered.

"Chiron! He's waking up already!" someone announced as Harry gripped his head, feeling it thump as the girl's words rang in his ears. Then his eyes widened as he recalled what he had been doing just previous. The darkness, the raging power, the… blood…

"Ah, good, you're waking." Chiron's voice said from above as Harry found something being pressed into his hand, "Drink up."

Harry obeyed without much hesitation, hoping that whatever it was would get rid of both his headache and his visions. He found that with the sweet tea drink the headache dulled and eventually went away completely, but the visions… not so much…

"How are you feeling?" Chiron asked as Harry's eyesight fluttered for a moment before it was crystal clear. He vaguely felt for his glasses, but realized they weren't on his face. Then he realized that he was still in the middle of the forest while campers were crowded around him as though he were some famous person.

Because Gods know he wasn't…

"I'm okay…" Harry replied quietly, his mind still reeling from what he had done in his anger. Regret, guilt, righteous anger, and shame welled up in him as his face took on a sad look, "Wh-Where's Samson Hicks?"

"Over here, kid." a voice like a war veteran called out as Harry turned his gaze from Chiron to the boy being shouldered by another in red armor, "Gave my legs a nasty chop, brat. I'll be watching you, son of Hades."

Harry didn't care about anything that was just said to him as he stared at the boy just to be sure his mouth was moving. Samson Hicks was alive… He was alive! Harry wasn't a murderer after all like he had been fearing and dreading! Harry didn't even realize he had let out a sigh of relief until Chiron gave him a curious look.

"Wait, you called me Son of Hades." Harry said quickly, "Does that mean-?"

"Yes, young Harry Potter." Chiron said with a nod, "You have been claimed. Hail to thee, Harry Potter, son of Hades." with that, Chiron gave a short bow, his front legs bending to knee as he did so.

"Wow…" Harry breathed as he saw the campers around him do the same, "So what now?"

"Now, we pack everything in and start dinner." Chiron said.

"Oh…" Harry said, "Well, that's a little disappointing. I thought we'd do more."

"Perhaps another time, young one." Chiron said, ruffling Harry's already untidy hair.

"Chiron…" Harry called timidly, not sure if he should bring up his question.

"Hmm. What is it, Harry?" Chiron asked.

"Why… Why didn't any of my mothers claim me, too?" Harry asked as Chiron hummed a bit in thought.

"I believe it was because you did not call upon their powers in your battle with Mr. Hicks." Chiron said, "You used the might of your father, from what I've learned, not anything else. Though your potential is being shown, so it might become easier to call upon your powers after being claimed by your father."

"Then what do I do to be claimed by my mothers?" Harry asked as Chiron glanced at him.

"I'm not entirely sure, and even if I did know the answer, I won't tell you." Chiron said, but at Harry's pained look, he pressed on quickly, "You have to find answers like those yourself, through trial and error, young one. Only through personal experience do we better ourselves."

"Oh…" Harry said, "Okay…"

"I'm not being unfair, Harry." Chiron said, "I'm merely be helpful in a different sort of way. After a while, you'll begin to understand. I want you to stand on your own two feet, and walk under your own strength."

"Okay, Chiron…" Harry said, not understanding but being respectful of Chiron.

"Now let's go get some dinner." Chiron said as Harry nodded, food sounding _so_ good at the moment.

* * *

"There's your table, Harry." Chiron said, pointing toward the newest table that sat between the Hermes and Apollo tables. Gus and Dawson grinned at him while others just shrugged.

Harry was nervous as he followed the other campers' example of each burning a portion of their food as offerings to the gods. Usually whichever one they chose was normally their own parent and almost no one else. Harry didn't want to offend anyone, especially since Zeus had made it clear that he didn't like Harry much. Harry took a deep breath as he made a silent plea for guidance while he walked up to the central flame pit.

"_Lords, Ladies, and De-Deities_…" Harry began nervously, "_I make this silent sacrifice to all of thee. Let this offering be to all of you, so that I can start anew. I, son of Hades, make this plea, that you all help in guiding me. Though I know this may sound lame, I'm trying not to sound too vain. I need the help, so please answer my prayer, as I burn this offering, I hope you're listening from wherever… there_."

Harry scraped off a portion of food into the flames, watching as the fire briefly turned a different color and then settled while everyone stared at him. He bowed his head, shyly trying to avoid all the attention as he went back to his table and ate in silence, though sent a few looks at his friends as they smiled at him.

* * *

After the campers finished eating, Mr. D made some announcements and even introduced Harry once again to the rest of the camp, though this time as "Harry Potter, son of Lord Hades- ugh, ugh- Corpse Breath -ugh, ugh- let him live long and prosper."

After that, the entire camp sat around a very nice and very large campfire where they sang songs and ate s'mores. The Roads twins, Jester and Pester, sat on either side of him as the Dawson strummed a guitar, playing a song "In the Land of the Dead" as a joke to Harry, who smiled and laughed through it all while the ground rumbled on occasion. Harry caught a glance of Mike and Gus snuggling up to each other, but also saw that Samson was trying to do the same with Christine, who had to slap him and make him sit on the ground in front of her as punishment. Harry also caught a few of the kids in his age group and even some older ones giving him odd blushing looks which made Pester and Jester nudge him in the sides and say, "You dog, you!", but Harry didn't get why.

All in all, Harry thought it was a rather enjoyable first few hours of being the son of Hades, though his pleasant musings were cut short when he was guided to his cabin by Chiron and Mr. D. Harry could honestly say that the cabin still spooked him some, and he didn't want to sleep in it alone. The thing looked like a big mausoleum! There was no way he was going to be in there by himself. None at all!

So that's why Harry had come up with a plan while Chiron and Mr. D were trying to push him in.

* * *

"You want to use your cabin to help shelter some of the unclaimed and non-cabin established campers?" Chiron asked in confusion as Harry nodded.

"Yeah. I don't think it's very fair that the Hermes cabin has to be put into sleeping bags and stepping over each other just because the other guys don't have a cabin or their parents don't claim them." Harry said honestly, as he did feel it wasn't right.

"You do know what you're doing, right?" Mr. D asked, "You're father gave you this gift, and he's just about the only God around that could get away with it under Lord Zeus' watch. If you put your father in a difficult spot because you're afraid…"

"It's not like that." Harry said quickly, gesturing to the large cabin behind him, "It's just that I'm going to be the only one in here. There's gonna be plenty of room, so why waste it? My cabin can take half the campers that don't truly belong to Hermes, and that way they can improve their own cabin."

"Yes, but Hermes cabin has an _actual_ Acceptance Policy; Hades cabin, what with being new, does not." Chiron said as Harry crossed his arms, being as stubborn as his Godly family were known for.

"Well, now it does." Harry said as Chiron and Mr. D look unconvinced, "As it's only rightful camper, I'm it's leader, right?"

"Yes…" Chiron said slowly.

"Then I establish an Acceptance Policy to Hades cabin. I, Harry Potter of Hades cabin, shall now accept any camper that is claimed by their Godly parent, yet do not have a cabin of their own. Hades cabin shall also accept some of the unclaimed campers from Hermes cabin to lessen their burden." Harry incanted as his cabin glowed darkly behind him, the door creaking slowly as though the cabin were already haunted. Harry grabbed his head, feeling it spin for some reason as Chiron and Mr. D glanced between each other.

"Fine then. You may accept any camper that so chooses to come to your cabin if their Godly parent does not have one of their own, or if the camper is of yet unclaimed." Mr. D said, waving his hand toward the cabin as a wave of purple aura washed over it.

"I had best go and alert Hermes cabin that they'll now be able to have some breathing room." Chiron joked with a chuckle as he galloped away, "I'll get your things from there as well, young Harry."

As Chiron left, Mr. D turned to Harry with an unreadable expression before he sighed.

"Don't try to be a hero, Harry. Heroes live tragic lives and are at best vain and arrogant beings who only do things for their own benefit. They forget everyone who help them, and only care for themselves." Mr. D said as Harry looked confused.

"I'm not trying to be a hero, but sleeping on the floor and having to step over each other to walk around isn't a good thing." Harry said, "Besides, some of my friends are in the Hermes cabin, and they deserve to not be cluttered up by each other. All I'm doing is helping a few campers have a warm bed to sleep in."

"You're a good kid, Harry Potter." Mr. D said, still giving Harry a strange look, "Don't make me take back that compliment in the time to come."

"I won't." Harry assured as he saw Chiron coming toward them, though his face seemed stormy.

"Harry, follow me and Mr. D to the Big House." Chiron said, looking disappointed.

"Umm… Okay…" Harry said, seeing his luggage case in Chiron's hand.

* * *

Harry was lead inside of the Big House by Chiron and Mr. D, who were in front of him and having a quick conversation in Ancient Greek. Whatever was being said made Mr. D look back at Harry in shock, and then he grinned a bit before sobering his expression and casting a disapproving look at Harry.

"I'm making an Iris call to your father so he can come here." Chiron stated firmly as he made Harry sit in a chair. Harry felt like he had been sent to the Headmaster's office for causing mischief, but couldn't think of having done anything wrong. Chiron must have caught the look because he sighed as he knelt to Harry, "Harry… you stole from your relatives, didn't you?"

Harry was shocked by the question, but Chiron went on.

"When I went to get your things, I didn't notice that the suitcase was unzipped as I pulled it up. When I did, all your things came clamoring out on top of your sleeping bag. The children in the Hermes cabin went to help picking them up, but then they sensed that the things had another owner, and that you had stolen them. They said it was from your relatives, Petunia, Vernon, and Dudley Dursley, correct?" Chiron said as Harry didn't know what to say.

"Y-Yes, but those things were supposed to be mine." Harry defended weakly, not liking the look of deep disappoint on Chiron's face.

"Never the less, Mr. D is contacting your father." Chiron said as he gestured to where Mr. D was digging through his new desk drawers for something.

Finally, Mr. D pulled out a gold coin, which he took over to a birdbath that sat beneath a mounted lion's head.

"Iris, we need a connect with Hades." Mr. D said as he flipped the coin back into the birdbath. Harry only saw a shower of misty steam rise from the birdbath before his father's face showed up as a big head.

Harry didn't hear the hushed conversation the two gods had, but it ended with his father casting a look over Mr. D's shoulder before saying, "I'll be there in a moment…"

They waited a few minutes in silence while Harry fidgeted nervously within his chair under the looks of Mr. D and Chiron. Then, all of a sudden, the next and silently unlit fireplace raged into tall emerald green flames, illuminating the entire room in an eerie glow that Harry would one day associate with dark things and himself included. The flames parted, and stepping out from them in an immaculate black suit was Harry's father, the Lord of the Underworld, Hades. His father gazed upon him as he shifted his the cuffs on his wrists, looking him up and down from his peripheral vision before his scowl deepened. Harry felt small under his father's gaze, and felt horrid when his father gave him that ashamed look, as though he were a stain on his black suit he wanted gone forever.

"You have stolen from your relatives, my son." Hades drawled slowly as he finally turned completely to Harry and the two camp directors, "You… disappoint me."

"But I didn't steal anything!" Harry defended, "Those things were to be mine from the beginning! It was I who asked for them- _begged_ for them every year, only to see them given to my putrid cousin and kept from me by my own flesh and blood aunt!"

"But still they were not _yours_ to take!" Hades hissed, appearing in front of his son, towering darkly over Harry in the blink of an eye as his son jumped to his own feet, his fists clenched at his sides as fire burned in his eyes, "You are the son of the God of Wealth, not some common beggar nor are you a thief! You are my son, and you want for nothing!"

"What about the pictures my aunt kept from me?" Harry asked, seething from being scolded for what he believed right, "Those were to be mine by my mortal mother, and yet they kept them from me! They taunted me with the things I asked for, but never given!"

"It does not matter." Hades snapped dismissively, "Items can be bought, and shall be. Photos can be copied, and shall be. But this shame…" Hades trailed off as he saw the dark glow in Harry's glare. He stopped for a moment, and then turned suddenly to Dionysius, conversing quickly in Ancient Greek. Harry caught spare words like "grudge", "thief", "fatal" and "flaw". The two then turned to Chiron, who sighed before he too joined in the conversation. Harry simply stood there, his once bubbling anger slowly dissipating as he sat back down to gaze into his lap.

Was he truly wrong for having taken his family's things, even though they should have rightfully been his? Some dark part in his said no, but a tinier part felt guilty and cried out yes. But, his father was right, wasn't he? Things and photos could be bought and replaced, but why did he feel that he shouldn't have to give up anything? Especially to the wretched relatives that had devoted their lives to making his miserable from the time he could remember? Yes… he was right! They deserved nothing and he deserved everything! The items… the photos… the jewels… they were his! His! Not theirs! They had made his life miserable! Worked him like a slave! They deserved Hell for what they did to-

"Harry!" Harry jumped as he found his father in front of him, gazing deeply into his eye with a frown marring his face before he stood tall, "Your thoughts linger, my son. Tell me, do you truly despise your relatives?"

"Yes!" Harry hissed, his eyes glowing darkly, "They made me miserable and treated me unfairly!"

"I see…" Hade said, turning to Chiron, "Thank you, Chiron. I see now that you speak the truth. Make a list of the items my son has within his bag that are not his and return the originals to the Dursleys with a note. I'll have my minions to gather the things on the list and have them to Harry by morning."

"What?" Harry hissed, standing up, "But those things are-!"

"Stolen!" Hades said, his eyes lit like hellfire as Harry stumbled back into his chair, "No son of mine shall disgrace my name and my blood by being a common thief."

"But father-!"

"Enough! I have spoken!" Hade bellowed, the grounds shaking and the shadows cowering, "Don't not disappoint me again, my son. I expect great things from you, Harry."

"But… I… my own…" but Harry sighed as he saw his father's stern look before bowing his head, "Yes, father."

"Good, my son." Hades said, turning on heel toward the fireplace, which the flames of turned green once more as he stood in front of it, "Have a good night. And remember: I am always watching over you from this time forth."

"Yes, father." Harry said quietly, "Good night, father."

Hades glanced back at Harry, hearing something in the defeated tone he truly didn't like. He looked as though he wanted to say something, opening and closing his mouth several times before he turned away completely, "… I… I love you, my son. Nothing in this world or any other could change that. Do you understand, Harry?"

"Y-Yes, father…" Harry said, daring to look up only to see his father's back turned to him. He smiled a bit as he could tell his father truly did love him. He didn't know how or why, but he could feel it in his own heart that his father loved him immensely, "Good night, father."

"Good night, my son." Hades said, and with that, he stepped into the emerald blaze and disappeared, the fire going out as he did.

"Well then…" Mr. D said, "I think that's enough excitement for one night." he looked over to Harry, smirking a bit. "Try not to cause us anymore grief, kid."

"I'm sorry…" Harry said quietly, "For all the trouble I've caused…"

"Not much trouble at all." Chiron said, clapping the boy on the back, "So long as you've learned your lesson."

"… I have…" Harry said, not wanting to disappoint his father nor anyone else any further.

"Good then!" Chiron said, "Now run along and get to your cabin. I don't think the others can enter until you've first stepped through."

"Oh…" Harry said, reaching for his pack, but Mr. D shook his head, snapping his fingers as all of the possessions, aside from the things that were truly Harry's own, came floating out of the bag onto a nearby table. Harry then took the bag, feeling embarrassed at how empty it was as he scowled and glared down at his own feet, not wanting to see the looks on anyone's face.

"You may go now, Harry." Chiron said, and Harry swept from the room in a way much like his father would have in broodingly passive anger.

* * *

Harry's face felt hot white as he marched from the Big House to the Cabins. He couldn't believe just how horrible he realized his life was compared to the camp. Here he got three healthy and hearty square meals a day while at the Dursleys he barely got the three meals; let alone them being good for him or plentiful. Here at camp he had more friends than ever before, while at his disgusting relatives Dudley had scared everyone off from making friends with him for the most part. At the Dursleys he was confided to the house unless he was forced into doing the chores, but here at the camp he could run free and basically do whatever he wanted until it was time to _share_ in the doing of chores. At camp he was encouraged to be as much as him as he wanted, he didn't need to hide his want for learning or his quick intellect, but at the Dursleys he was told to never ask questions and was always put down for wanting to learn just because his cousin was an unintelligent whale of a child.

Truly, his former life was a torment in every way possible…

"Hey, Har! We're roomies now!" a boy that had been in Hermes cabin called out as he and others saw Harry storming toward them, his uncut black hair wiping just above his shoulders as he continued to stomp his way toward his cabin without offering greetings back.

Mike continued to watch Harry closely. The younger boy's shoulders were squared, his eyes downcast in fury, his pace quick and furious. It was all the signs of a scolded child, and he was sure it had something to do with all the stuff that had been in Harry's now nearly empty backpack.

Harry marched up to the large, dark, and heavy mahogany wood door before shoving it open with a resounding bang that echoed all throughout the camp. Harry didn't even bother glancing at the interior of the room as he marched up to the largest bed and flopped his body down onto it with muffled shouts and curses being yelled into the pillow.

However, unlike Harry, the others were looking around the camp and finding themselves both immensely creeped out and horrifically fascinated by the décor. Everything inside was like something Mike had read in freighting gloomy novels about witches, vampires, and Horrorville slashers. The place was dark and gloomy, the walls covered in dark wallpapers and strange objects aligning the walls. The floorboards, thankfully, did not creak as they moved further into the rather spacious cabin.

It seemed that Lord Hades had been expecting Harry to have guests as an entire side of the room was devoted to Harry's space. It was the creepiest side of all. Cobwebs hang in the corners of that side of the room and from the corners of the bookcase which sat in the corner. A witch's cauldron sat at the other end of the room near a store-shelf of things Mike didn't even want to know about with all it's odd shapes trapped within jars. Then, in the large windowsill near Harry's bed was a small number of plants which seemed to grow heavenly in the present moonlight while Harry threw a tantrum atop his king-sized Victorian-style bed. Mike threw his pack of things onto one of the beds that were opposite to Harry's side of the room and marched over to Harry's bed, sitting at the edge as the younger boy looked up from his having his head buried deep within his pillow.

"I'm guessing your little tantrum had something to do with all your missing stuff, right?" Mike asked, but did not wait for an answer, "So what happened to it?"

"I'm getting replacements by the morning as all the original stuff goes back to my bloody relatives." Harry said, then realized his tone as he glanced up at Mike's closed expression.

"You don't like your relatives?" Mike asked, but once again didn't wait for an answer, "Of course you don't; you are a demigod. I'm guessing they didn't like you much for it."

"They never liked me much to begin with." Harry said, feeling a ping of sorrowful emotion at the fact that his relatives had never liked him for some reason.

"Wanna talk about it?" Mike asked, not looking the part of an emotional listener at all with his stern face and set scowl.

"Yeah…" Harry said, sitting up in his bed as he launched into the tale that was his life. At the end, he became aware that his story had captured the attention of all the campers who were staying in his cabin as they sat their beds listening intently.

"That's so sad! Like Hollywood movie sad!" a boy cried as a girl smacked him upside his head.

"Oh, stuff it, Castor! You big crybaby!"

"Ow! That hurt, you-!"

"Enough!" Mike barked out, standing to his feet as he glared across the room at the two campers, "Everyone, bed! Now!"

"But Mikey~!" the others moaned in childish fashion as Mike glared, making all of them gulp as they hurried to get ready for sleep.

With that taken care of, Mike turned back to Harry, his dark eyes giving the softest look Harry had ever seen in them before turning into rock-solid walls again.

"You're a half-blood now, that means no whining about your life then. Suck it up, kid!" Mike said as that was the last thing Harry thought Mike would say, though he supposed he really should have seen it coming from the older male, "They weren't your family, but we are! Each of us at this camp are connected by our godly blood. That means that we're all family at some level or another. And unlike those people you were forced to call relatives; we take care of our own here at Camp Half-Blood. You got that, kid?"

"Yeah." Harry said, smiling as he saw Mike's way of making him feel better, "Yeah, I do. Thanks a lot, Mike."

"It was nothing. Now, get in bed." Mike said before he turned on heel and stalked away toward his own bed, "You may be our cabin leader, but that doesn't mean you're still not a little kid. Get some rest, pipsqueak."

"I am not that short!" Harry yelled, enjoying the humor-filled chuckles that his other cabin mates made from his antics.

"Just drink lots of milk, dude!" that Castor guy yelled out, "You'll grow in no time flat!"

"Castor, milk doesn't really help you grow." the girl from before snapped as Castor seemed amused.

"Well, not for your boobies, no." Castor replied, chuckling with some of the older boys while Harry settled into bed with a look of confusion, "However, it does help build strong bones and promote height growth. So making your sweater puppies larger is not gonna happen- UGH! OW! That hurt, Marlene!"

"Then stop talking about my assets!" the girl screeched as the boys laughed.

"I can't talk about things that don't exist, Marlene!" Castor reputed.

"Enough out of both of you, dammit!" Mike yelled, quieting the whole cabin with an air of crankiness, "I want to get some sleep tonight, and I swear that if I don't, I'll make you regret keeping the son of Lady Vengeance awake."

That last comment seemed to do the trick as the entire cabin fell as silent as a grave. When it appeared they would all be going to sleep, the various candles around the cabin blew themselves out as Harry set his glasses on the bedside stand next to his overly large bed. He gazed up at the ceiling, on then in the dark was he able to take in the effect the ceiling had. He knew for a fact that the cabin had a roof, and yet, as he stared up at the ceiling above him, he could plainly see the stares and the dim light of the moon over them, casting the entire cabin in an eerie moonlit lighting.

Deciding not to focus on just how creepy his cabin was, or the fact that he would be living in it for however long he was going to be at camp, Harry rolled over onto his side and closed his eyes, hoping that tomorrow would be better.

* * *

"Harry! Harry, help!" a voice yelled as the sound of running feet came trampling through the fruit fields as a mop of black hair looked up.

Harry sighed, brushing his hands off on his jeans as he looked up from his work with the fruit. His swept back his shaggy black hair, gazing upon the running figure as it came toward him. His emerald-green eyes were warm and inviting, unlike the small scowl that marred his peach-tan face. The one that skidded to a stop in front of him was the one that always came to him when he was in the fields.

The others never disturbed him while he was in what they referred to as "his little garden", which was actually three large fields together that composed of fruits, vegetables, and medicinal plants. With his presence, the plants came into season far faster than what they did, even with the nymphs and Demeter's own children around. If the Aphrodite children were frolicking through while he was there, the plants would grow even faster. If they needed a rush job, then they would all come together a cultivate the fields together. Like how last month an Ares kid went through the flower fields with a torch just to prove that he could.

It was then that everyone knew never to bother Harry when he was in the fields.

Well, everyone except the oblivious Grover…

"Harry! The Ares kids are using me for target practice again!" Grover said as Harry's scowl deepened a bit, the plants around them wilting a bit as Harry calmed his fury. He couldn't allow himself to kill his precious little babies simply because those muscle-bound idiots under Samson wanted him to get angry and train with them instead of tending to the plants.

"Where are they?" Harry asked calmly, standing to his feet as he brushed off the dirt from his knees.

"They're over by the Archery area. They were shooting flaming arrows!" Grover whined as Harry glanced around at the nymphs who shied away from his gaze while pretending to tend to the fields.

"I'll deal with it later." Harry said, gazing down at the small satyr, "For now, take it to Chiron."

"Okay, Harry…" Grover muttered, obviously unsatisfied with the response.

"I'll be done here in an hour or so." Harry said, kneeling back down to the dying fruits as he concentrated on breathing life back into them, "Until then, go."

"But can't I stay with you?" Grover asked, obviously not wanting to go back without Harry.

"Have you improved on the reed pipes?" Harry asked as Grover nodded excitedly, "Have you learned a nature song?"

"Yes! Granny Goat taught us little ones last week, and I've been practicing!" Grover said enthusiastically as he reached into his satyr bag and pulled out his reed pipes.

"Then play it for the plants." Harry said quietly, petting the fruit as Grover began to paly, both nursing the dying fruit back to life.

"Your song is still out of tune and off-key." Harry commented as they walked through the fields, "I'm bring a bag of carrots to Mr. Flincher after I get cleaned up. Come with me, and he'll teach you how to play it a bit better."

"Thanks, Harry!" Grover said as Harry smiled down at the satyr. He missed the few weeks he had been the same size as Grover, but with his growth-spurt, he became a few inches taller than the young one.

"It's nothing, Grover." Harry said, then cut his eyes toward where a young nymph was, "Huila! We encourage growth, don't jump-start it! The plants have to grow under their own strength! Especially those healing orchids!"

"Eek! Sorry, my Prince!" the young nymph squeaked as she stopped the orchids from growing to the size of large cacti.

"It's alright." Harry said, suddenly behind her as she squeaked again in surprise. Harry reached over her, running a hand over the large orchid's petals as he glanced down at the nymph, "You've actually done good work with the balancing of all the orchid's needs. However, this one will be of no medical use because of it's size."

"I'm so sorry." Huila sniffled as Harry used his other hand to pat her head.

"It's fine," Harry breathed, smiling, "It's quite a pretty sight, isn't it?"

"Y-Yeah, it is." Huila said, smiling watery at the overgrown flower.

"We'll keep." Harry decided, running his fingertips over the orchid's petals. The flower sung to him, and he smiled at it as he felt it and him connect as only children of the Earth could.

"Rosemary, please collect the carrots for me." Harry said, reluctantly taking his hands away from the flower.

"At once, my Lord." another nymph said as she got up from pulling weeds and ran through the fields to do the task she was ordered.

"Huila, tell the children from Lady Demeter's cabin that I will be leaving early today, and that they can tend to the fields if they wish." Harry said as Huila nodded and sprinted off.

"Come on, Grover. We're going to Chiron for permission to leave the camp." Harry said, turning on heel as Grover followed after him.

* * *

"Someone's certainly full of themselves when they're in their little garden, huh?" Samson said from a tree with his hunting knife pinning a small, still struggling beast, into the tree while he lounged on a thick branch.

"Of course he is, the little brat." a second person sneered, "He's the only half-blood child of Lady Persephone. I can't believe it's been a month already... But, yeah; gardens are kinda his thing."

"Yes, but he's also a child of old Corpse Breath, and the old croon Lady Hecate." Samson said, smirking as he watched Harry stride toward the Big House as though he were a humble servant of the land.

"If only we knew who his last Godly mother was." the second sneered, "Then we could get paid. Whatever Lord Zeus does to them is nothing of our concern-"

"You shouldn't talk so openly about our mission, Terrance." Samson hissed, looking the part of a pissed off military Sergeant, "If anyone from the camp get wind of our plans-"

"I know! I know!" the second, Terrance, said from the shadows of the tree, "My mother and sister would never forgive me for what we have planned. Are you _sure_ the rewards far outweigh any of the consequences? We could very well be putting our afterlives at risk with this."

"And if we're immortal, I don't think that'll be a problem any time soon." Samson commented lazily, "Now remember; first on the mission, and then again at the Equinox."

"I remember." Terrance sneered, "We have to put the plan into action in full sight of everyone. Especially that nerd Shelley, and those two fruitcakes Mike and Gus."

Samson dropped from the tree in a spilt second, yanking his knife from the beast he had pinned it with and brandishing it at Terrance's neck before the other even knew he had dropped to the ground. The beast fell to the ground behind Samson, dead as Samson's blade glinted with the spare sunlight that beamed through the forest canopy.

"Shelley maybe a nerd, but she's twice the person you are." Samson gritted out, pressing the blade of his hunting knife to Terrance's neck, drawing a bit of blood, "And if I ever hear you breath another slight against Mike and Gus, I'll slice you to pieces well before your decapitated head hit's the ground. Do I make myself clear, solider?"

"Ye-Yes sir!" Terrance said in whispered fright, trying to back off the knife. Samson was having none of that as he took the teen's arm and slammed him into the tree, pinning him against it as he continued to glare at the other male.

"I don't think your mother would be too pleased with me if I craved up that beautiful and youthful face she gave birth to, but so help me that if you don't learn your place; I'll make an enemy out of her." Samson hissed.

"Of co-course!" Terrance said pitiful, "You're the boss! No more jokes about your friends! Follow the plan!"

"Good," Samson purred like a pleased lion, releasing Terrance and slowly removing his knife from the boy's neck, "Just follow me, and all your worries will ebb away."

"Huh?" Terrance said, rubbing his already healing neck.

"If all goes as planned, then we'll not only have our payment, but we'll also start a war to end all others before it." Samson said, sheathing his knife at his side as he chuckled darkly, "The heavens will darken, the seas will rage, and the earth will quake."

"Wh-What?" Terrance said, not wanting anything to do with war.

"Don't worry," Samson assured, "You'll be well away from it all; drawing my baths just as your mother did for my mother so long ago."

"Why you-!" Terrance got up, his fists balled up and ready for a brawl as Samson grinned.

"My father will be so proud of me. I'll have done what even he could not, and become a king among ruin." Samson said, walking away with his back turned to Terrance, who started at him but stopped dead as Samson's knife whizzed through the air, pinning itself into the tree right next to his nicked ear, "And all you have to do is remember your place, boy. Only then will it be secure and safe for you to even live amongst the rabble."

"Y-yes… My pl-place…" Terrance shuddered, his eyes wide with fear as Samson raised his hand, his knife flying back into his open palm before he re-sheathed it, "Need to… remember my pl-place…"

"Ahh… war between family," Samson said to himself as Terrance followed behind him at a subdued pace, "…it's always the bloodiest…" Samson finished with a grin splitting his face.


End file.
